Global Voices » Ahmed Awadalla

Egyptian Hashtag Takes on Homophobia!

Ahmed Awadalla — Sun, 31 Mar 2013 20:38:36 +0000

A recent social media call to fight homophobia stirred a lively and heated discussion. In Egypt, it's still taboo to have public debates on sexuality related topics, whether on or offline. Although homosexuality is not mentioned in Egypt's penal code, state authorities have prosecuted gays using laws on prostitution and morality.

A Facebook event was created by Ramy Youssef in response to the increasing homophobic attacks on social media. According to him, a recent social media trend is “Crushes” pages, used by students to express their feelings towards others, witnessed some expressing their feelings for people of the same sex, resulting in numerous homophobic slurs. Youssef wrote:

I invite you to an electronic campaign, including comment on homophobic posts in these pages, and tweeting, and posting on social media websites. We should say what do we think frankly about homophobia, say NO, express, oppose, get angry, this is the time for movement against homophobia.

The hashtag #ضد_رهاب_المثلية (Against homophobia) attracted many supporters and opponents as well. Nada Louis writes [ar]:

#ضد_رهاب_المثلية عشان اكيد في على الٱقل شخص واحد في حياتك قريب منك مثلي و انت ماتعرفش.

@nadalouis: Against homophobia because certainly there's at least one close person in your life who is gay and you don't know about it.

Nadim questions:

#ضد_رهاب_المثلية عارف مشكلة ال بيهاجم ايه؟مبيهاجمش بالشراسه دي متطرفين حياتهم دم وقتل واغتصاب,وبيهاجم ناس بتحب بعض بشكل مختلف,مين الشاذ هنا؟

@nadimx: You know what's the problem with the attackers? They don't vehemently attack extremists that live in blood, murder and rape as much as they attack people who love each other in a different way. Who's the pervert here?

Salma El Tarzi explains:

لان الحقيقة انت خايف على ذكورتك الهشة مش رافض المبدأ بدليل رجالة بتثيرهم فكرة ستتين مع بعض بس فكرة راجلين مع بعض بتقرفهم #ضد_رهاب_المثلية

@Salma_El_Tarzi: Because in reality, you're worried for your fragile masculinity and you're not against the concept itself. The evidence is some men are excited by the idea of two women together but disgusted by the idea of two men.

Amira Nosseir reinvents the biblical verse:

#ضد_رهاب_المثلية ما لقيصر لقيصر وما بين رجليك حرية شخصية

@Amira_Nosseir: Give what is Caesar's to Caesar and what is between your legs is a personal freedom.

Dina Magdi confirms:

المثلي/المثلية مش مريض/ة ومجرد فكرة انه راجل وبيحب الرجالة مش معناه انه هيفكر فيك بشكل جنسي لو خدته بالحضن #ضد_رهاب_المثلية #مصر

@Dodzym: A gay/lesbian is not sick and because he's a man and likes men doesn't mean that he will think of you in a sexual way if you hug him.

Mona Sadek shares:

#ضد_رهاب_المثلية عشان اللي مولَعين برفض أي حد مش شبههم وعندهم هوَّس إنهم مسئولين عن كل البشر وإختياراتهم عندهم مشكلة مع نفسهم مش مع غيرهم.

@Lemonada1: Against homophobia because those obsessed with rejecting anyone who's not like them, and obsessed that they're responsible for people and their choices have an issue with themselves not with others.

She adds:

#ضد_رهاب_المثلية عشان المثلي يقدر يعلن عن ميوله الجنسية ويعيش حياة طبيعية ميتورطش في جوازة بالغصب ويعيش بالغصب ويطلع أسرة فاشلة.

@Lemonada1: Against homophobia so that a gay person can declare their sexual orientation and lead a normal life, with getting involved in a [heterosexual] marriage against their will and create a broken family.

Amr Jamil reasons:

#ضد_رهاب_المثلية “أصل ده حرام” .. يعني إنت بتتحشر في أكتر علاقتين خاصين بالإنسان (علاقته مع ربنا) و (علاقته مع حد في السرير)..

@AmrJamil: “It's a sin”, this means you're interfering with the two most personal relationships for people; their relationship with God and their relationship in bed.

Homophobic graffiti was turned into an anti-homophobic one in Cairo. Photo shared by Leil-Zahra Mortada

Leil-Zahra Mortada shared a before and after photo of a homophobic graffiti that was remade by some activists into a anti-homophobic one. The graffiti is located at Mohamed Mahmoud street which witnessed many of the clashes between police forces and revolutionary protesters. The graffiti originally read “Cops are gays” in a way aiming to insult police officers, heavily criticized for the brutal use of force against protesters. After being retouched, the graffiti reads “homophobia is not revolutionary”. Part of the comment attached to the photo reads:

You won't believe how much the regime that we all fight against is based on patriarchal idea that hates gays like you. We all don't want to curse the regime only but also burn it down but don't use women, lesbians and gays, sex workers, belly dancers, because it's sexual discrimination and it's not revolutionary. This is an insult to your revolutionary comrades that stand with you in the face of a murderous regime. This is called chauvinistic lowness and backward thinking. The same mentality that we want to change and build a better society in its place. The same thinking that kills us.

Other tweets express more anger. Maie Panaga rants:

#ضد_رهاب_المثلية ما اسموش رهاب دول ولاد وسخة مش مؤمنين بحرية الشخص في اختياراته وجسمه تحت مسمي بقي مجتمع ولا اخلاق ولا دين . جاتكم الخري

@MAIEPANAGA: It's not a phobia, those are sons of bitches that don't believe in the freedom of a person in their choices and their body in the name of society or morality or religion. Screw you!

Others weighed in sarcastically. Gharebon says:

علشان ببساطة كل واحد من حقه يجيبهم بالطريقة اللي تريحه. #ضد_رهاب_المثلية

@Gharebon: Because simply everyone has the right to ‘cum’ the way they like to.

Abanob mocks:

قولت عليهم “خولات”؟ وحسيت انك راجل؟ و اتبسطت؟ :D #ضد_رهاب_المثلية

@ABA_NOB: You called them “faggots”? You felt like a man? You felt happy?

The hashtag continued for more than 24 hours and created an opportunity for Twitter users discuss the issue, however many homophobic slurs were thrown at proponents of equality. For example:

#ضد_رهاب_المثلية معا لتبويظ الهاشتاج معا للقضاء ع الخولات

@7amidovich: Together to ruin this hashtag, together we eliminate “faggots”.

Do Egyptians Really Want IMF Money?

Ahmed Awadalla — Tue, 25 Dec 2012 19:49:43 +0000

Soon after the beginning of the Egyptian revolution, negotiations over a loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to the Egyptian government began. The purpose of negotiations was to secure a loan that supports Egypt’s economy following the concerns over its compromising state.

Since its beginning, the negotiations were met with several setbacks. Before coming to power, Islamist parties Freedom and Justice Party (Muslim Brotherhood's political wing) along with the Salafist Al-Nour Party spoke out against the loan, even citing religious reasons to object to it. Following Mohammed Morsi's election as president, the loan negotiations resumed and the proposed 3 billion dollars loan was even increased to $4.8bn.

While presumed to boost economy and encourage foreign investment, the IMF loan was met with criticism and protest. In a letter sent to IMF Executive Director and Egyptian Prime Minister in November 2012, 18 human rights groups, political parties, and youth movements criticized the negotiation process. The letter focused on the both the IMF and the government’s failure to ensure a transparent, inclusive process and the lack of public consultation. They also questioned how the loan would truly benefit the livelihood of Egyptians, especially those in most need of it.

Protesters against IMF loan in Cairo raise banners saying ‘Enough’ and ‘Renaissance is the extermination of the people’ alluding to Morsi's promised Renaissance Project. Photograph by Mohamed Ali Eddin, used with permission

During the IMF delegation meeting last November, protesters took to the street to express their anger at the IMF loan and their concern over possible “austerity measures” that usually come as a condition of the loan. Various protests were organized under the title “No to the loan. The people want to know. The people are the decision takers”.

Indeed, President Morsi moved towards implementing an austerity package that included increasing taxes and removing subsidies. In response to vehement public criticism of the package, Morsi decided to suspend the package, resulting in a further delay of the loan negotiations.

Various social media initiatives were also used to mobilize against the loan. In a video produced by Mosireen, a non-profit media collective with a strong activism mission, Dr. Amr Adly from the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights, dispels the myths surrounding the austerity plan (Arabic with English subtitles). State media and some Islamist groups tried to portray the tax increase as one targeting harmful products such as cigarettes and alcoholic beverages.

The website Drop Egypt's Debt is one of the active groups rallying against the loan and used Facebook, Twitter and Youtube to create awareness around it. On Twitter, netizens cautioned from the consequences of the loan on the average citizen. Under the name (Muslim but not Brotherhood) this Twitter user ranted:

#مرسى علشان يثبت حكمة لازم ياخد قرض , وعلشان يجيب القرض يزود الاسعار ويرفع الدعم ويخلى الفقر شعار المرحلة ,, يسقط حكم ابن الوسخة #مصر

@Egypt_077: For Morsi to solidify his rule, he has to get the loan. And to get the loan, he increased prices and removed subsidies and declared that poverty is the slogan for the upcoming period. Down with the son of a bitch!

Mohammad Gramoun added:

#اقتصاد الإخوان: اللهث لتطبيق اشتراطات صندوق النقد الدولي دون حوار مجتمعي يعني الكارثة ثم الثورة الكبرى، اصلحوا هيكل الضرائب بدلا من زيادتها

@mgramoun: Muslim Brotherhood Economics: Rushing to implement IMF conditions without public dialogue which means disaster and major revolution. Reform taxing structures instead of increasing them.

In a creative way of protest, artists created a sarcastic music video (Arabic with English subtitles) on the IMF loan. The song proved a big success and managed to get more than 145,000 views in a few days.

There is a long history of IMF work with successive governments in Egypt. The economy-focused blog Rebel Economy produced a timeline of Egypt's history with the IMF. When president Anwar Sadat started introducing “Openness” neoliberal policies in the seventies, the IMF and World Bank mandated the removal of subsidies on basic foodstuffs which led to mass protests in what was known as the Bread Riots. The ensuing violent crackdown resulted in around 80 deaths and hundreds of injured.

‘Your money increases our poverty’ banner raised by protesters against IMF loan during IMF delegation visit to Cairo. Photo by Mohamed Ali Eddin, used with permission

Despite the existence of critique offered by some commentators of the movement against the anti-IMF movement, concerns and suspicions persist. The loans that were given to Egypt mandated the government implement certain economic measures. Most notably, the structural adjustment agreements that were implemented in the 90s during Hosni Mubarak's rule led to unpopular policies such as privatization, currency devaluation and subsidy removal. These policies are accused of causing mass unemployment and increasing poverty, which was one of the catalysts of Egypt's revolution.

Egypt: Graffiti Over Presidential Palace Walls

Ahmed Awadalla — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 18:58:55 +0000

It seems like the revolutionary spirit is galvanized in Egypt, thanks to President Mohammed Morsy's power grab – his recent decision that gave him broad decision-making power. The decision sparked nation-wide protests, most notably a sit-in was staged around the presidential palace.

Photographer Jonathan Rashad, who has been actively using his camera to document major events since the beginning of the Egyptian revolution, shared the following photographs of graffiti which tell the story on his Flickr account.

Here is a selection:

Graffiti portraying President Morsi as an octopus swimming in a sea of blood. (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

‘Leave, sheep’ referring to President Morsi, in an allusion to the herd-like behavior of Muslim Brotherhood. (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

‘Leave, you idiot’
‘Illegitimate’ (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

Depiction of military police, accused of committing grave human rights violations against protesters during transition period in Egypt (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

The sit-in in front of the palace was attacked on December 5th, which resulted 6 deaths and much more left injured. Testimonies of anti-Morsi protesters being tortured at the hands of Morsi supporters began surfacing later. Various walls were erected around the palace to prevent protesters from approaching. These walls were targets of graffiti artists as well.

‘Your walls won't protect you from the revolutionaries’ (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

The Stateless People of Egypt

Ahmed Awadalla — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 16:49:18 +0000

Stateless people are those who do not have a nationality. According to the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), there are up to 12 million stateless people in the world.

Sometimes the concept of being stateless is confused with refugees. However, many stateless people are not refugees as they have never crossed any international border. While the Universal Declaration of Human Rights affirms that everyone has the right to a nationality and prohibits the arbitrary deprivation of nationality, stateless people exist due to different reasons; gender, ethnic and religious discrimination are among main factors.

Stateless people usually suffer from multiple forms of human rights violations and lack of access to basic rights such as education, employment, healthcare, and political participation.

Statelessness is not uncommon in the Arab world. Palestinians are a prime example as their nationality is not recognized by other countries. Also, those who live in Jerusalem but didn’t apply for Israeli citizenship are without nationality. Bidoon (without nationality) people of Kuwait and other Gulf countries, Sahrawi refugees in Algeria, and the black minority in Mauritania are other examples of stateless people in Arab countries.

National laws that prevent mothers from transferring nationality to their children if the father is not a national is also one of the main reasons for statelessness in different countries, such as Iraq and Oman.

While the issue of statelessness doesn’t get much visibility, some activists have been raising their voices and using social media to highlight it. In Kuwait, online advocacy is an important tool for shedding light on the plight of Bidoon people. Global Voices author Mona Kareem has started Bidoon Rights Blog to document the situation of this community in Kuwait.

In Egypt, Abdullah Elshamy, a reporter for Al Jazeera shared on Twitter the details of his visit to the Azazma tribe in the East of the Sinai Peninsula.

Elshamy tweeted:

نوتات عن البدون في مصر: كنت اليوم في زيارة الى قبيلة العزازمة في شرق سيناء قرب الحدود مع فلسطين مسافة ١٥٠ كيلومتراً من العريش #بدون_مصر

@abdallahelshamy: Notes on statelessness in Egypt: Today I was visiting Azazma tribe in East Sinai near borders with Palestine; 150 km far from Arish.

He added:

هذه القبيلة تعيش منذ عشرات السنين هنا دون جنسية مصرية . لا توجد عندهم سوى وحدة صحية دون موظفين و التراب يعلو كل شيئ فيها #بدون_مصر

@abdallahelshamy: This tribe has been living for decades without Egyptian nationality. They only have one health unit with no staff and it is totally covered with dust.

He continued:

قال لي شيخهم: نريد من الرئيس مرسي الذي سمعنا عنه أنه رجل عادل أن يحل مشكلتنا لكي يستطيع أبنائنا السفر والعمل #بدون_مصر

@abdallahelshamy:The tribe leader told me: We heard that President Morsi is a just man and we demand that he solves our problem so that our sons could travel and work.

Azazma tribe is a nomadic society that is spread out between Negev and Sinai deserts on both sides of the Egyptian and Israeli borders. The tribe members in Sinai number between 3,000 to 5,000 people. After the Israeli occupation of Sinai ended, Azazma tribe members on the Egyptian side expected to obtain the Egyptian nationality, but were only left with “passage documents” with unidentified nationalities.

In a blog post from 2008 entitled Azazma, people of the border or border for the people?, blogger and poet Ashraf AlAnany ponders difficult questions regarding the history of Azazma, their complex relationship with Israel and the perceived lack of loyalty to Egypt which propagates their statelessness. AlAnany wrote:

أعتقد أننا هنا أمام خيارين لا ثالث لهما , أولهما أن يستمر وضع هؤلاء علي الحدود هكذا مرشح علي الدوام كبؤرة توتر ، هم مواطنون “ بدون “، فكيف نطالبهم بالانخراط في هذا البلد ومعاملتهم كأبنائه ، لهم ما لأبنائه من حقوق وعليهم ما علي أبناءه من واجبات ؟؟؟؟؟

أما الخيار الثاني الذي أعتقد أن كثيرين سيعارضونه فهو أن تعطي مصر الجنسية لهؤلاء ، وهو خيار سيقول من يعارضه بأن عزازمة 1953 مهجرون تم تهجيرهم من قبل قوات الاحتلال ، وسيقول المغالون : كيف تعطي الجنسية لأبناء قبيلة يشتغل بعضها مع الإسرائيليين كأدلاء وقصاصي أثر في سلاح الحدود ” مشمار قفول ” وكجنود أو ضباط في الكتيبة البدوية ، كيف نضمن ولائهم في وضعية كهذي

I believe we have one of two options; the first is to continue their situation at the border and continuously remain as a tension point. They're without nationality so how do we demand them to be integrated in this country and treat it as its citizens with all the rights and duties.

The second option, which I believe would be opposed by many, is that they become Egyptian nationals. The opponents would say that the Azazam of 1953 were forcefully displaced by occupation forces. Others may take the argument to another level and say “How do we give nationality to a tribe that works with Israelis as guides in the Border Guard Division and as soldiers or officers in the Bedouin Troops, how do we ensure their loyalty?”

Elshamy shared photos from his visit to the tribe:

A photo of one of the tribe’s sheikhs showing his passage document; the only official paper he has. Photograph shared by @abdullahelshamy on Twitter

A photo of children of the tribe, by @abdullahelshamy

The Azazma tribe, however, are not the only stateless people in Egypt. Since Palestinians who fled to Egypt and other Arab countries were not granted citizenship and lost their original citizenship, many of them are now stateless. Other than that, small numbers of people of Armenian origin are stateless in Egypt. Children of mixed Ethiopian-Eritrean origins can also be stateless and some of them seek asylum in Egypt.

Until recently, people of the Bahai’ faith were not able to obtain official documents such as birth certificates or national IDs as their faith was not recognized by the state. In 2008, the Administrative Court ruled that Bahai’s could be issued documents without mentioning their religion, deemed as a historic step towards integrating them.

The UNHCR has started a campaign last year to combat statelessness, encouraging countries to sign agreements related to reducing statelessness. Except for Tunisia, Libya and Algeria, Arab countries did not sign these conventions.

Egypt: Teenager Confronts Militarization of Schools

Ahmed Awadalla — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 09:21:41 +0000

This post is part of our special coverage Egypt Revolution 2011.

Since the toppling of Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak and the military commanding the transition period, the military institution has come under mounting criticism. Various revolutionary groups aimed their condemnation at the military abuses and violations. One of these groups is No Military Trials group that has focused its work on advocating against military tribunals for civilians.

A campaign called Military Liars used citizen media to highlight the use of violence by the military against peaceful protesters. Others focused on the military's control over civilian affairs in general. Also, there has been increasing critique of the military conscription system.

No to Military Services Movement was founded in 2009 and more recently members of the campaign declared their refusal to turn themselves for military service due to their pacifist beliefs.

Ahmed Hassan a blogger and a young member of the group has taken a step further against the military institution by refusing the militarization of schools. In Egypt, some high schools and all public universities require students to attend classes in the subject of military education. The movement considered what Ahmed did an important step as a peaceful move to expose the Egyptian military's violation of international human rights standards through subjecting children to military training.

In this video [ar], uploaded on YouTube, Ahmed explains his work (click cc for English subtitles):

Ahmed started a campaign at his school titled “No to Militarization of Schools” urging students to boycott the subject of military education at his schools in Minia, a city in south of Egypt. In response to his campaign, the school management changed the name of the school from Minia High School for Boys to Minia Military High School for Boys.

He was told that he would not receive his graduation certificate from the school and that he would be punished by serving 15 days of military training at a local military base. However, he persisted in his stance and boycotted the exam for military education. After escalating his cause, he was able to retrieve his file from the school and thus graduate from high school, winning his battle and setting a precedent for such schools.

The No to Military Services Movement has commended Ahmed for his bravery:

The movement welcomes Ahmed Hassan for his bravery and his hanging on to his ideas and principles, and on confronting the penetration of the military establishment in the daily life after the military coup. The movement also calls on the Egyptian military to be committed to the international laws and to stop any military training for minors under 18 years old. The time has come to cleanse the Egyptian schools from all the forms of militarization and militarism.

Ahmed holding “Liars” banner. Image from his Twitter account @S_Takoza.

Global Voices conducted the following interview with Ahmed Hassan:

Global Voices (GV): What motivated you join the movement against compulsory military service?

Ahmed Hassan (AH): I heard about the movement before the revolution and I read about it on Maikel Nabil's blog (The movement's founder) and I found what he's doing brave. After reading more about compulsory military services, I came to believe that it's a form of slavery. After I rejected sitting my military education exam, I was contacted by the movement and then I became a member.

GV: What role can social media play in promoting social change?

AH: Social media is very important especially for young people and I think it plays a successful role in mobilization. But I believe the effects of social media are limited, although I am using it myself to spread the word about my causes and I also use it to mobilize for protests.

GV: How did your parents react to your activism?

AH: They knew about my situation at the school at the end of it, and when they knew they were upset and told me to dedicate my attention to my future. I talked to my father and convinced him about my stance and my rights. However, until now they're not happy about my political activism and I will continue to do it behind their backs!

GV: What other activities are you involved in at your community?

AH: I volunteer with other different youth groups such as 6th of April Movement. I was also part of a project on empowering young students’ participation in schools so they could form student groups and be active in their community. I also started a campaign against sexual harassment and I am also part of other arts initiatives.

GV: How do you wish to see Egypt in the future?

AH: As for the government, I wish it respects peoples’ rights and freedom. As for the people, I wish to see our people fully knowing their rights and actively seeking their realization.

GV: What would you like to say to other young people in your society?

AH: I say to young people of my generation, that we live in a time when people broke the barriers of fear and called for their rights so we must maintain this gain and never give anyone the opportunity to take that from us.

This post is part of our special coverage Egypt Revolution 2011.

Lebanon: Inflammatory TV Show Leads to Arrests of Gay Men

Ahmed Awadalla — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 11:29:15 +0000

On July 28, 36 men were arrested [ar] in Beirut under suspicion of homosexual activity. The raid took place in the Bourj Hammoud neighborhood at Cinema Plaza, which is considered to be a gay cruising venue. Lebanese police also cracked down on other venues deemed to be places of “debauchery and prostitution”.

Moreover, the detainees were subjected to forced anal examinations, which would supposedly prove their homosexuality. The examinations are based on outdated medical knowledge from the 19th century, and are considered a violation of bodily rights and a form of torture according to international human rights standards.

The raid came after months of a campaign waged [ar] by a famous TV show on Lebanon's Murr TV (MTV) channel called “Anta Hurr”, inciting hatred [ar] against gays.

The Lebanese LGBT Media Monitor, a project by Lebanese LGBT group Raynbow, has written about the anti-gay campaign on their website:

Another outrageous report by MTV, the Lebanese TV station now popular for its bigotry, racism, homophobia, and hate-incitement was aired on May 8, 2012. The Anta Hurr (أنت حر Arabic for “You are free”) episode included using a hidden camera inside an adult all-men movie theater in Lebanon’s second largest city, Tripoli. The video shows shadows of men masturbating and a short sexual chat with one of them. [Presenter] Joe Maalouf called on officials to close the theater permanently. The next day, Cinema Hamra in Tripoli was shut down without any official or public response by any politician or leader.

Photo posted on Facebook page of The Lebanese LGBT Media Monitor.

The raid triggered angry reactions among Lebanese bloggers. The Gay in Beirut blog commented:

Whatever one might think of the places that were raided – shady, filthy, immoral – they exist even in the most conservative Arab cities – Damascus has them, Amman has them. They’re not a sign of “too much freedom” but on the contrary, they are a symptom of a closed and homophobic society. They are a desperate choice for gay guys to have an occasional sexual encounter.

Online users left angry comments on the Facebook page of Joe Maalouf, the host of the TV show. Hasan Abdessamad left a comment saying:

How does it feel to have 36 men arrested, taking them away from their families and out of the safety of their closets, throwing them under the cruelty of our merciless judgmental society, putting them at risk for losing their jobs, and throwing them in a jail where they already got abused by exposing them to “dignity anal testing”? Why is your target always the misfortunate and weak? Go after all the corrupt people in power dressed in suits and causing real harm to our Lebanese society. I used to like and watch your program now I do not even want to watch MTV Lebanon all together.

In an unexpected turn, some Lebanese Facebook and Twitter users spread rumors that Maalouf is gay himself. A YouTube video [ar] entitled “Joe Maalouf is gay” has been circulating, which contains photos of Maalouf apparently on the Greek Island of Mykonos, a gay tourism hub. Nevertheless, others were against the move to reveal Maalouf’s sexuality and considered it harmful to the Lebanese gay community. Raja Farah, a blogger who identifies as gay, atheist, activist, pacifist, and Arab wrote in a post called “36 men in jail, and 1 on TV”:

As it seems, a few hours ago, someone (I have no idea who) launched a campaign to out Maalouf, posting a YouTube video and creating a blogpost. I instantly remembered why such tactics are horrible. As the story of the cinema arrests continues to develop, our number one priority needs to be the privacy, safety, and well-being of these men. That should be our focus and our goal. Joe Maalouf’s sexuality will not change anything. He may be evil, he may be homophobic, he may be the devil incarnate. It doesn’t matter. Outing him will not help get these men out of Hbeish [police station] and it certainly won’t help us in any way. We don’t fight hate with hate and we don’t fight homophobia with homophobia.

Photo posted on Helem's Facebook page.

According to Helem, a Lebanon-based organization that offers support and services to LGBT people, article 534 of the Lebanese Penal Code states that “sexual intercourse contrary to nature” is punishable by up to 1 year in prison. The article is used by the Lebanese ruling classes to criminalize homosexuality for ordinary people and block democratic debate on sexuality.

Article 534 is part of the French colonial legacy in Lebanon during the French Mandate of Syria and Lebanon between 1920 and 1946. In fact, many of the anti-homosexuality laws were introduced by colonial powers into the national legislation of several countries in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. Several LGBT groups in Lebanon have been campaigning to abolish article 534. In December 2009, HELEM launched a report on the legal situation of homosexuals in the Arab region.

The incident is reminiscent of a similar case in Cairo in 2001, when police raided a discotheque, dozens of men were jailed, and anal examinations were performed.

The recent crackdown in Lebanon contradicts the popular image of Beirut as a city that embraces diversity and is considered a destination for gay tourism.

Egypt: Protest Sends Message Against Sexual Harassment

Ahmed Awadalla — Fri, 06 Jul 2012 22:21:57 +0000

In Egypt, sexual harassment is a serious problem, and one which more and more Egyptians are speaking out against. A protest was held in Cairo's Nasr City on July 4 by young Egyptians, both male and female, in order to send a message against harassment.

Since the revolution took place, Egyptians both online and offline have been standing up against sexual harassment and gender-based violence. In June a march against sexual harassment was attacked. Nevertheless, initiatives to combat harassment continue.

The aim of the July 4 protest was to take a stand against sexual harassment and to demand safe streets for all. Maged Tawfiles was there and took the following photos (all images reproduced with permission):

“My freedom is my dignity”

“An Egyptian woman has the right to walk freely”

“I don't want to hate being a girl”

“I wish you would stop looking at my body”

“I want to ride a bike without being harassed”

“I don't harass so that my sister won't be harassed”

“Control yourself, not my clothes”

“The street is not yours, my freedom is not yours”

Egypt: Assault on Women in Tahrir Square

Ahmed Awadalla — Thu, 28 Jun 2012 15:14:24 +0000

Just as Mohamed Morsi was declared the new president of Egypt, crowds poured into Tahrir Square to celebrate. The square, which was the epi-centre of the Egyptian revolution, was filled with jubilation and chants. Fireworks lit up the sky above, but something darker was happening during those moments of celebration.

Journalist Natasha Smith narrated her ordeal as she suffered mass sexual assault while heading to Tahrir Square to join the celebrations in a post titled “Please God. Please make it stop.”:

Hundreds of men pulled my limbs apart and threw me around. They were scratching and clenching my breasts and forcing their fingers inside me in every possible way. So many men. All I could see was leering faces, more and more faces sneering and jeering as I was tossed around like fresh meat among starving lions.

Women were crying and telling me “this is not Egypt! This is not Islam! Please, please do not think this is what Egypt is!” I reassured her that I knew that was the case, that I loved Egypt and its culture and people, and the innate peacefulness of moderate Islam. She appeared stunned. But I’m not really a vengeful person and I could see through the situation. This vicious act was not representative of the place I had come to know and love.

The post triggered more than 1,000 comments, which ranged from deep praise of Natasha's courage to dismay and denial of her account. The incident is reminiscent of the mass assault on reporter Lara Logan on February 11, right after former president Hosni Mubarak stepped down. What happened to Logan also triggered similar reactions on the blogosphereand mainstream media.

A poster from the Facebook page calling for a protest against sexual harassment on July 4. The Arabic text reads: No to sexual harassment. Take care of her.. protect her

Recently, a march demanding an end to sexual harassment ended with the mass sexual harassment of the protesters. Rights NGOs warned that the rise of the incidence of sexual violence is an attempt by state forces to intimidate women and limit their participation in public life. Reem Labib, one of the participants in the anti-harassment protest shares her story in a post titled “They were cowards and I shall remain.”:

We all take to the streets in protest demanding freedom, dignity, and equality knowing and accepting the risks, including sexual violence. Being blessed with a healthy and rather sheltered upbringing and environment, the knowledge of the risk and acceptance of it does not prepare you for this, nothing does; this assault is by far the worst violation I ever experienced and I know it will take me some time to heal.

It took a mob maybe a hundred-harasser strong or more to physically overcome me, to scare me, to make me scream, it was not a fair fight; my body was violated and defiled – but they only scratched my shell, they did not break my core, I will not be victimized, and I am not broken.

Meanwhile, activists are organizing for a protest on July 4 against harassment, demanding safe streets for everyone.

Arab World: People With Disabilities Raise Their Voices!

Ahmed Awadalla — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 08:09:15 +0000

An online campaign was recently launched to shed light on the struggle of people with disabilities and their neglected rights. Founder of the campaign, Abdallah AlShalaqi, an activist from Saudi Arabia said in a TV interview that the campaign aims at raising community’s awareness of the rights of people with disabilities; breaking media silence about it; and giving a message to government officials to take action towards this issue.

People living with disabilities suffer from marginalization and neglect to varying degrees. And those with disabilities have been campaigning for equal citizenship so that they can achieve their full potential. Their struggle focuses on accessibility (the ability to move freely in the surrounding environment), equal opportunities in education, employment, housing and freedom from violence and abuse, which they can be vulnerable to.

The campaign heavily used Twitter as a main platform to raise their voices. Twitter users were asked to reverse their avatars and to use the hashtag #للمعوق_حقوق meaning “people with disabilities have rights” to highlight their cause. A large number of Twitter users joined the campaign. Safar Al Hogbani, a player in the Saudi special needs basketball team, tweeted [ar]:

@safar_ALhogbani: المعاقون جزء من المجتمع، ومراعاة ظروفهم واجب وطني وانساني، كما ان احترام القوانين الخاصة بهم دليل على رقي المجتمع وتحضره ‎‫#للمعوق_حقوق‬

People with disabilities are part of society. Considering their circumstances is a national and human duty. Respecting their laws is an indicator of a society’s progress and civility.

Sumaya Al Ghamadi shared her experience [ar]:

@sumaya1405: #للمعوق_حقوق‬ عندما سافرت للعلاج لألمانيا لقيت إهتمام ولم أرى نظرات الشفقة,, وهنا وجدت نظرات شفقة بلا إهتمام.

When I traveled to Germany, I found attention and I didn’t see looks of pity, but here I found pity without attention.

Twitter user @jessica_2090 blamed society [ar]:

@jessica_2090: ‫#للمعوق_حقوق‬ لا يوجد شخص معوق بل يوجد مجتمع يعيق

There is no disabled person, but a society that disables.

Abo Khaled added [ar]:

@AaaAbokhaled: #للمعوق_حقوق‬ أهمها حقه في كسب قوته فالإعاقة لا تعني أن يصبح عالة على غيره

People with disabilities have rights, and most importantly the right to earn a living. A disability doesn’t mean they would become dependent on others.

Other Twitter users have been campaigning for their rights. Dr. Sohair Abdel Hafeez, who identifies herself as an Egyptian wife and a mother of five men, two of them are hearing impaired who finished their university education. Following the announcement of Mohamed Morsi as president of Egypt, she tweeted to one of the members of Morsi’s campaign [ar]:

@omelregalsohair: الأشخاص ذوو الاعاقة وأسرهم جزء من الشعب المصري لهم حقوق حتى التمكين فليجعلها الرئيس أمامه في مصر بلا تمييز

People with disabilities and their families are part of Egyptian society. They have rights including empowerment. The president should keep these rights in front of himself without discrimination.

Another prominent user is Mohamed Abu Taleb, a non-sighted person who trains other people with visual impairment on computer skills. Abu Taleb tweets about overcoming his disability [ar]:

@love_life2012: على الرغم من أن بداية الإستقلالية التامة بي كانت كفيلة لتجعل مني شخص حبيس بيته لكن لم أرضى هذا على نفسي مطلقا ‎‫#إعاقة‬ ‎‫#كفيف‬

Although the beginning of my complete independence was sufficient to make me home-bound, I didn’t accept that for myself.

@love_life2012: ومع بعض التشجيع من الأسرة لي وخصوصا والدي إستطعت ان اتغلب على كثير من صعوبات الإستقلالية ‎‫#إعاقة‬ ‎‫#كفيف‬

And with some encouragement from my family, and especially my father, I was able to overcome many of the difficulties of independence.

@love_life2012: بعدها لم أجعل شيء مهما كان صعب ولا مستحيل أمام احلامي وطموحاتي التي أردت لها النجاح بيدي ‎‫#إعاقة‬ ‎‫#كفيف‬

And after that, I didn’t let anything however hard or impossible it was, to stand in the way of my dreams and ambitions that I wanted to achieve with my own hands.

Another blogger living with physical disability after she lost her leg shared her experience with sexual harassment. Randa Aboeldahab [ar] wrote:

اغرب حالات التحرش بالنسبة دايما كانت التحرش بالعربية ، يعني المتحرش كان بيستعمل عربيته كأداة تحرش وكنت فاكرة اني انا لوحدي اللي بيتعمل فيه كدا ، اكتر واقعة مش ممكن انساها لما مرة كنت بعدي الشارع وكان في عربية راكنة ادام ، بعدي من ادامها لاقيت السواق طالع خطوة وخابطني قلت اكيد مش قاصد ، رجعت اعدي من وراه راح راجع خطوة لورا، قلت اكيد مش قاصد، وثانية راح رامي جملة من اياهم ، لاقيت نفسي بمسك العكاز اللي ف ايدي وبخبط به اول فانوس في العربية ، قال جملة تانية مصحوبة بشتيمة روحت نازلة ع الفانوس التاني وهكذا لحد ما اتهمني بأني مجنونة ، مردتش غير بضربة قوية من عصايتي في نص الباب الشمال وروحت ماشية

The strangest harassment incident for me was “harassment by car”. A harasser uses his car as a tool for harassment. I thought I was the only one subjected to this. The incident I remember the most was when I was crossing the street in front of a parked car, then the driver drove and hit me, so I said to myself “this cannot be intentional”. I moved behind the car and then I found him hitting me again by the car and he said one of those harassment lines. I found myself smashing one of his car headlights with my walking stick. He cursed me so I smashed the second headlight. He said I was crazy so I hit the car door and I left.

Similar online initiatives also highlight the issues of people with disabilities such as I Am Not Disabled Twitter account and the website Voice of The Disabled, which serves as a media outlet to convey the voices of people with disabilities.

Egypt: “Blog About Nubia” Day

Ahmed Awadalla — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 12:26:10 +0000

In an attempt to highlight the situation of the Nubian community and to challenge stereotypes about them, on April 18 the Nubian Democratic Youth Federation [ar] organized a day of blogging and tweeting [ar] about their cause. The event took place on the occasion of the last forced migration of the Nubians before their land was submerged in April 1964 when the High Dam was built in Aswan.

The Nubians are an ethnic minority that live in southern Egypt and northern Sudan, and they were forced to migrate from their land several times between 1902 and 1964. Apart from losing their land, their language and culture has been marginalized.

Nubian activist and blogger Fatma Emam, one of the day’s organizers, wrote on her blog:

The Nubian issue in Egypt raises many questions, about race, class, democracy, citizenship and human rights. Nubians in Egypt suffered for long time from racism, alienation and neglection for their basic rights. Sadly the Nubian issue is not on the political agenda of almost all the political factions in Egypt, we might hear of Nubian issue only because of the demographic mass of Nubian voters, which was crystal clear the presidential race after the revolution. One of the main obstacles Nubians are facing while fighting for rights is the ignorance of the public opinion about their cause, that the “ordinary” Egyptian associate Nubia with folkloric dancing and music and they deny the pain which prevails in the Nubian history. [...] The Nubians faced harsh discrimination and racism when they inhabited the cities, and they worked in the low profile jobs. Although Nubians proved in many times that they belong to Egypt and they are willing to sacrifice for a better tomorrow, Egypt as a government neglected Nubians and as a population discriminated against them. One might ask what are the demands of Nubians now? Full citizenship, where their history is celebrated and taught in schools as part of Egyptian history, going back to the land around the lake, naming the lake Lake Nubia [instead of Lake Nasser] and having a say in the development plans in their region. Nubia is not a homeland we live in, it is an identity, and cause we live for.

Women at Nubian centre in Cairo. Image by Flickr user Maria Johnson (CC BY-NC 2.0).

Blogger Saqr Helal reflected on the forced migration of the Nubians, and having to see the name of the person responsible everywhere:

التهجير هي العملية التي تمت وهي اسم المكان الذي ولدت فيه. وتزداد المفارقة بان يلتصق اسم الوطن الجديد بالشخص الذي تسبب فى هجرتنا “مركز ناصر” كما قلت فانت محاصر بذكري عملية التهجير وبشخص المهجر فى كل مكان بموطنك الجديد وبكل اوراقك ففي كل مرة اضطر ان اسجل محل اقامتي او اتفحص بطاقتي واوراقي استعيد كل ما مضي: الهجرة, التهجير وعبدالناصر. الذي لم يسمي باسمه فقط المركز الذي سكنه المهاجرين ولكن ايضا البحيرة التي يرقد تحتها رفات أجدادي. المفارقة ان البحيرة التي يقع ثلثيها فى اسوان وثلثها الاخر بالسودان, يسمي ثلثها السوداني ببحيرة النوبة في حين ثلثيها المصري ببحيرة ناصر

“Forced migration” is the name of what I experienced and the place I was born in! It's even more ironic that the name of our new home, Nasser City [near Aswan] was associated with the name of the person who caused our migration. You are surrounded by the memory of migration, and by that person, everywhere in your new home and in all your papers. Each time I register my place of residence or use my ID, I am reminded of it all (migration, expulsion and President Nasser). His name was not only used for the new city where migrants lived, but also the lake under which my grandfathers’ bodies lie. It's also ironic that two thirds of the lake is in Egypt and the other third is in Sudan, and while the Sudanese part is called Lake Nubia, the Egyptian part is called Lake of Nasser!

Lake Nasser / Lake Nubia. Image by Flickr user Rita Willaert (CC BY-NC 2.0).

Tweets for the day can be found on the hashtag #نوبة (“Nubia” in Arabic).

Marwa Zaky said:

@MarwaZaky2005: حمى الحنين و الانتماء للنوبة مرض لن نشفى منه و سنعدى به أولادنا و أحفادنا ‎‫#نوبة‬‏

The fever of nostalgia and belonging to Nubia is a disease we'll never recover from and we'll infect our children and grandchildren with it.

Yahia Zaied warned:

@Yo7ia: دائما تذكروا ‎‫#النوبة‬‏ ليس اغانى ورقص فقط النوبة شعب يعانى وحضارة وتاريخ يضيعان ولغة وترلث انسانى سيختفى

Always remember that Nubia is not only music and dance. Nubia is a community that is suffering; a civilization and history that are being lost; and a language and human heritage that will disappear.

Eslam Salheen wrote:

@EslamSalheen: لما بنقول ان فئات من ابناء هذا الوطن بيتعرضوا لاشكال عدة من العنصرية ده مش معناه اننا رافضين وطننا لكن اننا عاوزينه وطن افضل للجميع ‎‫#نوبة‬‏

When we say that certain communities in our country are subject to various forms of racism, it doesn't mean that we reject our country, but that we want it a better country for all.

Azza Matar added:

@AzzaMatar: شئ مؤلم ان ترى جزءا هاما من تاريخ البشرية غارقا تحت بحيرة السد العالى والاكثر ايلاما ان يكون العالم كله مشتركا فى هذه الجريمة ‎‫#نوبة‬‏

It's painful to see a significant part of human history drowned under the High Dam Lake, and more painful to know that the whole world was complicit in that crime.

Blogger Mohamed Mahmoud Moqbel discussed the lack of Nubian representation in media:

خلاصة القول أنك إن أحببت أن ترى النوبة فلا يمكنك أن تراها عبر الشاشة التى لم تقدم الواقع اليومى الذى يعيشه أهل النوبة البقعة الجميلة من جنوب الوطن ، و ما زال هناك الكثير من الكنوز التى يمكن تقديمها عن هذا العالم بما له من خصائص فقط تنتظر الفنان الحقيقى الذى يقترب منها

To sum it up, if you would like to see Nubia, you won't be able to see it via the media because it doesn't represent the daily realities lived by the people from the beautiful southern part of our nation. There are treasures to be presented about this world with its special features, but it is still waiting for a true artist to do so.

Mohamed Aly Talibab ‏shared a link to photos of Nubia taken by John A. Larson between 1905 and 1907.

While many Twitter users shared Nubian music and songs, other shared videos highlighting the Nubian cause, such as this video in which filmmaker Nada Zatouna shares her experience as a Nubian woman who participated in the revolution [ar, for subtitles click cc]:

The day led to many blog posts and Twitter discussions. Blog posts were collected at the Nubian Democratic Youth Federation blog. The initiative also managed to get mainstream media attention, such as this article, and this TV interview [ar], in which Fatma Emam was interviewed.

Egypt: Campaign Against Compulsory Military Service Gains Momentum

Ahmed Awadalla — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 14:03:23 +0000

This post is part of our special coverage Egypt Revolution 2011.

Since the resignation of Hosni Mubarak, the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) has been supervising the transitional period to democracy, and its performance has come under much scrutiny and criticism. At a time when Egyptians are preoccupied with the drama of the presidential race and the performance of parliament, many are organizing themselves and speaking up about their rights. A discussion against conscription or compulsory military service is emerging.

In Egypt, males of age 18-30 years old are obliged to serve 1-3 years in the military according to their educational level and other factors. There are a few exceptions such as males with no brothers, dual nationals or for medical reasons.

A few days ago, Emad El Dafrawy declared his objection to submitting to compulsory military service and posted a video to outline his reasons [ar, with en subtitles]:

El Dafrawy also wrote a statement on his blog in both Arabic and English:

I’m pacifist and anti-militarist, which means that the military activities including holding weapons and using violence contradict my beliefs. I’m a conscientious objector to the military service. I refuse to obey military orders and I consider all wars to be crimes.

We refuse to serve in an army that kills us! Image from the No to Compulsory Military Service Movement.

Emad El Dafrawy is not the first to conscientiously object to military service. Maikel Nabil Sanad was the first to take such a move and is the founder of the No to Compulsory Military Service Movement. The movement was established in April 2009 and according to a blog post by Nabil, it aims to “abolish compulsory draft and replace it by optional conscription.” In addition:

We are aiming to reform the relation between citizens and military institutions, ending any authority of militarists over civilians, deepening the civil state, and evolving qualifications, organization and standard liberties and rights in the Egyptian army.

In October 2010, Nabil issued a statement on his blog saying that he would not serve in the army and that he would bear the consequences. The following month, he was arrested from his house and taken into military custody. However, he was granted a medical exemption of military service a few days later, which said that he was suffering from a character disorder, in a possible attempt by the military to avoid further criticism.

Nabil was also the first blogger to be imprisoned after the revolution when he posted his famous post “The army and the people weren't ever one hand”, in which he documented the military's abuses and violations. The No to Compulsory Military Service Movement was revived following his release in January 2012 and it uses Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to campaign for their cause.

Recently, videos have been made such as “Why We Reject Military Service” [ar]:

Another is entitled “Would You Like to Serve in This Army?” [GRAPHIC CONTENT].

A debate took place on Twitter recently under the hashtag #ضد_التجنيد_الاجباري‬‏ (“against compulsory military service”), and many Twitter users weighed in on the matter.

Fatma Wagdy tweeted:

@Fatma_Wagdy: ‎‫#ضد_التجنيد_الاجباري‬‏ عشان الدفاع عن قضيه مش بالإجبار

@Fatma_Wagdy: I am against compulsory military service, because defending a cause can never be compulsory

Ahmed Said wrote:

@singer_twitts: #ضد_التجنيد_الاجباري‬‏ لانه بيزرع مبدأ امشي جنب الحيط واوعي تعارض او تفتح بقك في الشباب

@singer_twitts: I am against compulsory military service because it encourages the concept of “don’t say no or speak up” amongst our youth

Motaz Ahmed said sarcastically:

@mezzo812: رأيي لازم يبقى فيه خدمة مدنية إجبارية لظباط الجيش كل فترة, أول مرة أشوف مؤسسة كاملة عايزة علاج نفسي لكل أفرادها ‎‫#ضد_التجنيد_الاجباري‬‏

@mezzo812: My opinion is that there should be compulsory civil service for military officers every now and then. It's the first time I've seen a whole institution in need of psychological therapy for all its members!

Ibrahim Mady tweeted:

@DrHumHum: أنا#ضد_التجنيد_الاجباري‬‏ لأن الجيش مهمته حماية الوطن ، مش قهر أبناؤه

@DrHumHum: I am against compulsory military service because the army’s mission is to protect the nation, not to oppress its sons!

Mina Diaa added:

@MinaDaPharaoh: #ضد_التجنيد_الاجباري‬‏ لا تعني إنك ضد خدمة الوطن أو التضحية من أجله,,بالعكس.لكن إنك تنتهك بسبب قواعد بتخدم اللي فوقك دايما يبأة دا ظلم

@MinaDaPharaoh: Being against compulsory military service doesn’t mean you’re against serving the nation or against sacrificing yourself for its sake, on the contrary. But if you are violated because of rules that benefit your superiors, that's simply injustice

Ziad Adly wrote:

@ziadadly: ليه ابناء الفقرا يترموا في الاماكن البعيدة ف الصحاري و الجبال لمدة 3 سنين .. في شرع مين؟ ‎‫#ضد_التجنيد_الاجباري‬‏

@ziadadly: Why are the sons of the poor thrown to faraway places in the deserts or mountains for three years? Under whose law?

Activist and writer Nawara Negm said:

@nawaranegm: ولما لقيت بقى ان بنات طولهم متر ونص ووزنهم حوالي اربعين كيلو اشجع الف مرة من ظباط وعساكر بقيت ضد التجنيد الاجباري‬‏ فشخ

@nawaranegm: When I found that girls only 150 cm tall and weighing 40kg are a thousand times braver than officers and soldiers, I became strongly opposed to compulsory military service

Some people had different opinions. Mohamed Hany tweeted:

@mohamed_hany87: إلى حين تعديل وتحسين ظروف التجنيد أنا ضده .لما يكون في دورة تدربية مكثفة مفيدة أول واحد هنضم ‎‫

@mohamed_hany87: I am against compulsory military service until the modification and improvement of the drafting conditions. When there is a useful training course, I’ll be the first to join

Nermeen Bedair wrote:

@Nermbed: ‎‫مش#ضد_التجنيد_الاجباري‬‏ اطلاقا.. ممكن أرفض ان المجندين اجباريا يشتغلوا في الفنادق والنوادي خصوصا انه شغل سخرة.. تجنيد يعني معسكرات جيش

@Nermbed: I am not against compulsory military service at all. Maybe I reject that soldiers are forced to work in hotels or clubs especially because it’s just slave work. Military service means army barracks!

A conscription map of the world reveals that many countries indeed have moved beyond compulsory conscription. The coming days will reveal if the Egyptian movement can gain more momentum. Already another blogger, Haitham El Kashef, has declared that he will not submit to compulsory military service. Both El Kashef and El Dafrawy may face imprisonment for three years on charges of evading military service, or further charges may be added.

This post is part of our special coverage Egypt Revolution 2011.

Egypt: Women's Right to Divorce Debated in Parliament

Ahmed Awadalla — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 08:37:13 +0000

The performance of the new Egyptian parliament continues to stir debate on social media sites. The new parliament was seen as a move towards to democracy. However, the parliament continues to discuss matters that seem irrelevant to the country’s most pressing needs – such as a request to ban pornographic websites.

There has been another controversy over an MP who claimed that English classes are a plot to westernize Egyptians. The most recent fiasco was about an MP’s request to strip women of their right to file for a divorce.

In the past, when it came to women’s right to divorce, Egyptian women were seriously discriminated against. Men had the right to divorce their wives without going to court. Women had to go through a long, complicated and bureaucratic procedure to obtain a divorce. The situation was slightly improved in 2000 when a law was passed that give women the right to file for a no-fault divorce (Khul’). Through this law, women can get a divorce but have to let go of all their financial rights.

Social media users reacted quickly to the draft law suggesting the cancellation of khul’ in parliament.

Merit Al-Sayed says [ar]:

مشروع الغاء قانون الخلع خطأ فادح. الخلع دفعة الى الامام للمرأة التي من حقها البدأ من جديد في حياتها.

A draft law to cancel Khul’ is a grave mistake. Khul’ was a step forward for women; it’s their right to start over with their lives.

Mira Samy adds [ar]:

مشروع قانون لإلغاء الخلع هو البرلمان دا جئ علشان يقضى على كل حقوقنا بدل ما يجيب الحقوق المغتصبة ولا دا جزء من خطة ولا يوم من أيامك يامبارك

A draft law to cancel Khul’? Is this parliament here to take away all our rights instead of getting our lost ones? Or is it a part of a plan to make us say “come back Mubarak”?

Not only women were angry as many male supporters also shared their outrage. Wael Khalil pleads [ar]:

ال كنت عامل حسابه وخايف منه بيحصل: مشروع قانون لالغاء الخلع…. الاخوة النواب – فرجونا شوية شطارة على السلطة والعسكر مش على الشعب المسالم

What I was worried about is happening: a draft law to cancel Khul’. Dear MPs, show us some clever work against the authorities and the military, not against the peaceful population.

Ali Hagras exclaims:

إلغاء قانون الخلع هو ببساطة اعطاء الضوء الأخضر للرجال للأساءة إلى زوجاتهم جنسيا و إذا اعترضت فهي كافرة و زنديقة ؟ أترضاه لاختك يابو دقن ؟

Canceling Khul’ law is simply giving the green light for men to sexually abuse their wives; and if she objects she would be called an infidel? Would you like that to happen to your sister, bearded men?

And Sherif Khairy reasons:

مشروع قانون منع الخلع ده على أقل تقدير ساذج.. افتراض ان خراب البيوت بيجي لما الطلاق يحصل.. مش مدرك ان الخراب الأكبر انهم يعيشوا كارهين بعض

This draft law is naïve, to say the least. If it is harmful when a divorce happens, wouldn’t it be even more harmful if they live together while hating each other?

As usual, there were many sarcastic and humorous comments. Noon Arabia has created a Storify of on the debate mainly with tweets from @Elma7roossa who wrote several tweets under the hashtag #الخلع_قوة which translates to “Khul’ is power.”

Additionally, Riham Mohamed jokes:

مجلس الشعب كده بيلعب بالنار .. قالك يلغى قانون الخلع .. ده كانت الستات قاموا عليهم قطعوهم ‎:D‏

The parliament is playing with fire. If they say they would cancel Khul’, women would go and cut you into pieces! :D

Muhab Talaat also offers:

اكيد الي قدم طلب الغاء الخلع عايز يلعب بديلوا وخايف مراتوا تخلعوا وعجبي

The MP who requested canceling Khul’ definitely wants to fool around but afraid that his wife would divorce him!

And Sally Zohney quotes her mother:

ماما اللي بتخاف من المظاهرات ” لو مجلس المتخلفين ده لغى الخلع أنا حجيب خيمة ومش حمشي من قدام مجلس الشعب”…ادوني عقلكم

My mother who’s afraid of protesting says “if this parliament of retards cancels Khul’, I’ll set up a tent in front of parliament and will not leave.” I lost my mind!

It's worth noting that the MP who filed the draft law to cancel Khul’ is not a member of Islamists parties, but a former member of the liberal Wafd Party. Ahmed Shokeir offers his viewpoint on this:

مطالبة عضوا بإلغاء الخلع الذي حلله الدين توددا للإسلاميين هي متاجرة بالدين ، تؤكد ان مطالبة الغير بتطبيق أمور تحت مظلة الدين ليست لأجل الدين

An MP’s request to cancel Khul’, which is religiously accepted, to appease the Islamists is like trading with religion. This confirms that requesting matters under the guise of religion is not for religion’s sake.

Indeed, the debate also tackled whether Khul’ is Islamic or not. Many users cited that Khul’ is indeed a part of Islamic jurisprudence. Mohamed ElGohary affirms that Khul’ is Islamic and says:

Khlo3 can't be cancelled, as long as there is an “Islam is the basic source for legislation” is in the constitution.

Finally, not everyone agrees on the matter, and not everyone thinks canceling Khul’ is a bad move. Twitter user @_ADHEM tweets:

انا ضد قانون الخلع لانه مش في الإسلام حاجة بتقول كده ولو ع الخمسين واحد الي علي تويتر دول عادي هما بيسافروا بره كتير ‎‫#مصر‪‏

I am against Khul’ because there’s nothing in Islam that says so, and for those 50 Twitter users who’re with it, it’s no big deal, they already travel abroad a lot!

Egypt: Mixed Reactions to Porn Ban Proposal

Ahmed Awadalla — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 15:46:59 +0000

Debate and controversy are rocking the newly elected Egyptian parliament, just a month after its members were sworn in. Both the Egyptian blogosphere and Twitterverse have been watching the new parliament, tweeting their demands, concerns and sarcasm under the hashtag #EgyParliament. A recent parliament session stirred much discussion, but this time it was about pornography!

A request for a briefing calling for blocking pornographic websites was filed by a member of the parliament who belongs to Al-Nour Party. Al Nour Salafist party is known for its ultraconservative interpretation of Islam. The request was immediately met with various reactions on social media websites. Alyaa Gad, a Swiss-based Egyptian liberal and secular doctor proposed the hashtag #EgyPornBan to discuss the matter [ar].

@AlyaaGad: #EgyPornBan‏ اقترح الهاشتاج دا لتقترحوا على المجلس الموقر افكار في الموضوع المهم دا في حياة شعب قرب يموت من الجوع

I suggest #EgyPornBan hashtag so you can suggest ideas for the parliament on this important topic for the life of a nation that’s almost dying of hunger.

Many of the comments the proposal to ban porn gathered were humorous and sarcastic. Here is a selection from Twitter.

Galal Amr suggests:

@GalalAmrG: #EgyPornBan? Let the downloading begin!

Ahmed Essam adds:

@ahmedessam125: #egypornban ‏ انا مع القرار ده جدا, أن الاوان ننزل الحياة العملية وننطبق اللى درسناه سنين

I very much support this decision. It is about time to go into practical life and practice what we’ve been learning for years!

And Gauchiste threatens [ar]:

@gauchiste88: #EgyPornBan ‏ والله لو قفلتوا المواقع هطبع صور بورن كبيرة وهعلقها فى الشوارع

I swear if you shut down porn websites, I will print large porn photos and hang them on the streets!

While Mohammed Gohary jokes [ar]:

@MohammedGohary: #EgyPornBan‏ دة كنا خلاص قربنا يا ظلمة من التربع على عرش البلدان الاكثر مشاهدة للسكس.كنا هنوصل للعالمية حقا هناك من لايريد التطور لهذا البلد

We were close at reaching the victory of being the country that views porn the most, we would have gotten international. Truly, some people don’t want this country to progress!

Other tweets tried to offer a reasonable perspective and explain why they oppose such a move. Among them, Ahmed El Saeed reasons [ar]:

@am_s3ed: قبل ما تمنع المواقع الإباحية خلي الشباب مايحتاجهاش، علموهم ووظفوهم وجوزوهم وساعدوهم يشغلوا وقتهم بحاجة مفيدة ‎#EgyPornBan‏

Before you ban pornography, don’t let the youth need them. Educate them, find them jobs, marry them and help them occupy their time with something useful.

Wael Eskandar offers:

@weskandar: The #Egypornban is symptomatic of hypocrisy. These are people who can't think straight. How can they be charged with a country? #egypt

And Rasha warns [ar]:

@neversaydiee: #EgyPornBan ‏ النهارده نسمح بقفل مواقع البورن …بكرة تبقى مواقع التواصل و بعده مواقع الاخبار

Today we let them shut down porn websites, tomorrow social networks, and the day after news websites.

No to Pornography!

Despite the near-universal condemnation of the ban on Twitter, the picture was different on Facebook, as a group was titled A Campaign to Ban Porn Websites in Egypt and has attracted more than 15,000 members. Another page called “We want to ban porn websites in Egypt” was established in February 2011 and was liked by more than 43,000 users.

A few blogs also weighed in on the porn debate, as blogger Mina Naguib wrote a post entitled “Porn, Freedom, and Social Equality” in a sarcastic allusion to “Bread, Freedom, and Social Equality”, one of the prominent chants during #Jan25 revolution. Mina wondered [ar]:

يا ترى هل يعلم سيادة العضو بكم الفساد و القتل و التعذيب و القمع و الترهيب و الفقر و الجوع و غياب الأمن و الرعاية الصحية لتأتى الأفلام الإباحية على أولوياته؟ هل يعلم سيادة العضو أن نسبة من يشاهدون الأفلام الإباحية فى مصر لن يتعدى بكل الأحوال نسبة من هم يعيشون تحت خط الفقر؟ هل يعلم كم المليارات التى تصرف سنويا فى الصين و السعودية و إيران و الإمارات لغلق المواقع التى تنشر معلومات “غير مرغوب فيها” من الأنظمة الحاكمة؟

Does the member of the parliament know the extent of corruption, murder, torture, oppression, intimidation, poverty, hunger, insecurity and lack of healthcare to make porn as one of his priorities? Does the member of the parliament know that the percent of those who watch porn would never exceed those who live under the poverty line? Does he know the billions of money is spent yearly in China, Saudi Arabia, Iran and UAE to shut down websites that spread “undesirable” information by ruling regimes?

The porn debate is just one of many at the new Egyptian parliament. More parliamentary drama is likely to follow!