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Marwa Rakha

Contributor profile · 173 posts · joined 20 May 2008

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Born and raised in Egypt, I was brought up to be a good middle class Egyptian girl; but somehow being good did not suit my notions. Deep down I have rejected the heavy heritage of traditions and norms that made no sense to my inquisitive mind. I could not understand why girls were killed, committed suicide, or lived in eternal shame when they lost their virginity. I failed to comprehend why such a rule applied only to girls and their male counterparts were spared. After my grand mother passed away we stopped celebrating Christmas, New Year's Eve, Halloween, and Thanks Giving … does being a Muslim deny me all my childhood memories? Why do I have to get married? Why can't I date? Why do men cheat? Why do I have to accept it? Why? Why? Why? And many more unanswered questions.

I have come a long way from the scared little girl that I once was … I found my passion in writing, my voice in teaching & training, and my strength in marketing … I took off my mask … and I decided to speak up and loud .. as loud as loud could ever be.

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Latest posts by Marwa Rakha

12 August 2010

Video posts
Egypt: Youth using social media to close the gap

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Thirty young Egyptians joined hands to produce 10 social advertisements, aimed at social reform. Marwa Rakha takes a closer look at the “Closing The Gap” project, and shares some of the videos produced in this post.

31 July 2010

Egypt: Do Egyptians have a natural aversion towards women?

Do Egyptians have a natural aversion towards women? Zeinobia is very unhappy with this emerging social trend, Mohaly is wondering where we are going with segregation, Diptychal wonders why they want to shut them up, and Eman Hashim is begging mothers to love their daughters!

28 July 2010

Egypt: Is Egypt Sinking?

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The Economist has published a special report on Egypt and its future after President Hosni Mubarak, who has now been recognized as the 21st century sick man of the Middle East. Egyptian bloggers have their say.

23 July 2010

Egypt: Liberals mourn the death of Dr. Nasr Hamed Abu Zeid

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Dr. Nasr Hamed Abu Zeid, a prominent Egyptian scholar once accused of apostasy for his contemporary interpretation of Islam, has died on July 5, 2010. He was 66. Officials at the Cairo hospital where Abu Zeid had been receiving treatment for the past two weeks said he died Monday from a brain infection. Liberal Egyptian bloggers mourn his death.

Egypt: Niqab ban in France stirs controversy

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The lower house of the Spanish Parliament is debating a proposal to prohibit the wearing of body-covering burqas and face-covering niqabs in all public spaces in Spain, and the French parliament just approved a ban on niqabs (face veils). Bloggers from across the Middle East react.

29 June 2010

Egypt: The Ministry of Interior Seeks Revenge

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Egyptian activists have utilised citizen media to the fullest in exposing police torture and corruption. Marwa Rakha writes about their newest initiative and uncovers the case of an Egyptian activist held in neighbouring Libya in this post.

21 June 2010

Egypt: Looking Inside Mr Egypt

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Twenty-six-year-old Tarek Mohammed Nagiub Abdel Gawad has been named Mr Egypt 2010. Bloggers react to the title and his participation in Mister World 2010, held in South Korea.

Egypt

Egyptian President, Mohamed Hosni Mubarak registered the first Arabic domain in Egypt: مبارك.مصر . In her postZeinobia expects that Mubarak.Misr would be the official Mubarak 2011 campaign website.

15 June 2010

Egypt: My Name Was Khaled and I Was Not a Terrorist

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Demonstrations and rage continued in Egypt following the death of a young Egyptian, allegedly at the hands of police. The anger on the street is evident online, where citizen journalists speak out.

12 June 2010

Egypt: Scheherazade must Die

Freedom of Expression is taking a beating in Egypt. In a series of lawsuits against writers, Scheherazade of 1001 Nights is now being accused of immorality and some lawyers want her dead - in their call for banning the book!

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