Sobering Snapshot of Present Day Egypt

Frequently, I get the sense that belly dancers think of Egypt as the "motherland"; a romanticized and revered locale where it all started. But is this rose-colored Western lens really accurate? For belly dancers outside of Egypt, how much do we actually know about current day Egypt?

I recently attended a panelist discussion hosted by Humanities Washington on the topic Unveiled: Feminism, Orientalism, and Perceptions of the Middle East. The panelist speakers were Yussef El Guindi, award-winning playwright of Threesome; and Sarah Eltantawi, professor Middle Eastern Studies and Comparative Religion at The Evergreen State College, with moderation by Zaki Barak Hamid, program director at Humanities Washington and Middle Eastern film instructor at Edmonds Community College.

From the discussion, with question and answer interaction from the audience, I was reminded of some sobering facts about Egypt today. Let's begin by painting a picture of what Egypt is currently looking like.

I think we are all aware that in 2011, Egypt had a revolution, lead primary by its young people, that resulting in the ousting of the dictator Mubarak, and the election of Muhammad Morsi, Morsi became Egypt's first ever democratically elected leader. However, Morsi was also a leading member of the Muslim Brotherhood, which lead to him promoting an agenda that did not correlate back to the original ideals of the revolution.  Instead, Morsi's actions involved granting himself almost unlimited power and silencing journalists and protesters, frequently with violence and prosecution. This unpopular agenda lead to the 2013 military coup lead by the Egyptian army chief General Abdel Fattah el-Sisi that removed President Morsi from power and suspended the Egyptian constitution. Leaving us where we find Egypt today.

What has all of this meant to Egyptians and in particular, Egyptian women?

All of the unrest has dealt a staggering blow to Egypt's main industry: tourism. With tourists opting out of visiting Egypt in record numbers, a $5 billion hole has been left in the economy, leading to widespread unemployment and poverty, and what many are calling the worst economic crisis since the 1930s. Many Egyptians are now financially and socially worse off than before the revolution. Some even turning to criminal acts to provide for their families, as documented in the Vice segment, Egyptian Tomb Raiders, which explores how the black market for plundering Egyptian antiquities has turned into a $3 billion-dollar industry.

Also up in record numbers, is sexual harassment and violence toward women. A recent study reported that 99.3% of Egyptian women report being sexually harassed.  Almost every single woman in the country. Which begs the question, why is the sheer fact of being in public space such an issue for so many Egyptian women? Many theories suggest a link between the frustration and anger felt toward the Egyptian government and economy, With no other outlets, this anger and frustration is being taken out on women. Many also hold the belief that this anger is further inflamed by Egyptians' unprecedented access to TV and social media which allows  them to see what the rest of the developing world has, but they themselves cannot attain. The stark contrast of the haves, and the have nots.

Oddly enough, this backlash against women comes at a time when Egypt is much more conservative than it was in the 1970s and 1980s. Twenty to 30 years ago, women who wore the hijab in Egypt were the minority, whereas in the current day, they vastly comprise the majority. This conservatism can also be seen in the realm of belly dance, as there have been increasing restrictions on dancers, such as having to cover the abdomen, as well as increased judgment and scorn of dancers.

Where did this increased conservatism come from? Much of it can be attributed to Egyptian men leaving the country for jobs in Iraq, and upon returning, carrying with them the strict conservative values and religion of that country and people.

So where does this leave Westerners who are outside looking in? Reading and hearing about the present day plight of the Egyptian people can elicit a wide range of responses as a Westerner. However, the panel discussion highlighted and questioned some of the common responses that occur when Westerners judge Eastern societies through an often distorted lens.

One of these common misconceptions that the panelist highlighted is the idea of cultural imperialism. Cultural imperialism is the idea that the West is "right" and the East is "wrong", and that the West has a duty as a more "advanced" culture to "fix" these other societies. That as Westerners, we somehow have the right to say what is correct and incorrect for another country or culture; that we get to be the judges and police of what is cultural authenticity and what needs to be rejected. One very common area where this attitude comes up is in the realm of women's attire. Westerners frequently assume that a woman wearing a hijab or niqab, or otherwise forced to dress conservatively, directly correlates to a lack of rights or equality for women, and thus that it's the West's imperative to change this. An example of this can be seen in France's fairly recent decision to outlaw the any sort of face covering in public.

The panelists proposed the idea that there is no direct correlation between a woman's attire and her rights. Instead, they argued that Westerners have a misconception that a women's dress equates directly to her freedom. The idea was proposed that a Western woman's right to wear reveling clothes does not make her equal or ensure that she has equal rights. And I would say this is a valid point, as even in the United States today where women can dress as revealing as they want, women are still not paid equal wages, and in recent years there has been a constant chipping away at a women's right to choose when and how she reproduces. Some would argue that the inverse is actually true, in that wearing a hijab or otherwise being more conservatively dressed, forces men to interact with women on a level that is not about physical aesthetic or attraction, but instead is about mutual humanity and respect. However, a further counterpoint has been made that a person's humanity and individuality disappear behind the hijab or niqab, allowing acts like sexual harassment and assault to proliferate because the woman has been de-personalized.

Overall, it's a highly complex situation. One that I certainly won't claim to have the answers to. During the panel discussion, Elantanwi gave her opinion that Egypt's current economic and gender issues cannot be resolved by external forces, that they have to be dealt with from the inside. Whatever the solution is, I hope that for the sake of not only Egyptian women, but women worldwide, that as a collective global race, we can move toward a place of equality, respect, stability, and opportunity for all.

Photo Credit: www.i24news.tv

Is Belly Dance Anti-Feminist?

In the last year or so, the concept of feminism and who is or isn't a feminist has garnered quite a bit of media play. Female celebrities, like Shailene Woodley and Taylor Swift, have come out and said that they aren't feminists or don't identify with the term. Additionally, for the first time in U.S. history, the rights and beliefs of corporations were allowed to precede the rights and beliefs of individuals in the realm of women's health care choices. Adding more fuel to the fire, we somewhat recently crossed the 40th anniversary of Roe vs. Wade, when all the while, the term "war on women" was being slung back and forth across the aisles of congress. Fast forwarding to just last week, Patricia Arquette lobbied for equal pay and rights for women in her Oscar acceptance speech, only to be later decried by certain cultural subsections, that she apparently didn't do it correctly.

Yes, it's been an intense time for women. Which started me thinking about how belly dance fits into all of this. Whether directly or indirectly, I think all belly dancers at some time or another have been looked down on as being engaged in some low-brow type of profession, only one step up from strippers and prostitutes. Of course, this varies greatly by country, with these type of stereotypes existing heavily in certain parts of the world and less so in others. But I don't think that in any country, do belly dancers ever really escape fully from under this umbrella when viewed by society at large.  This in turn puts belly dancers in a societal category that may potentially not represent a position of empowerment for women. Which made me question: is there any truth to this?

Is dancing around in a form-fitting, abdomen and cleavage revealing costume degrading to women? Is getting paid based on a presentation of one's body, in conjunction with the custom of accepting body tips, a step backward for women? Does the realm of women's equality have room for gyrating hips and shoulder shimmies? Is a women who presents herself this way in public asking to be objectified and stereotyped? Is she reinforcing ideas that a woman's value resides solely in exterior beauty?

In short, is belly dance anti-feminist?

To answer this, I think we need to start at square one. What actually is feminism? I personally believe that many of the starlets who have come out and said that they aren't feminists is due to not having a correct understanding what that word really means, and instead associating the label with negative connotations that have accumulated around it. Per Webster's dictionary, feminism is "the belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities."

Equality.

That's it. Pretty simple. Some people may have come to mistakenly believe that feminism or a feminist is a bra-burning, man-hater, who wants women to rise to the top at the expense of men. While I'm sure that there are some women out there who feel this way, that's not the true definition of feminism. Let's now laser down onto this definition of feminism in the context of belly dance. Thus when asking if belly dance is anti-feminist, I'm really asking, is belly dance acting against the equal rights and opportunities of women?

While some of the initial answers to the questions I posed above might lean toward the answer of yes, especially by those not intimately involved in belly dance or the belly dance community, I believe that the deeper, underlying answers are all resounding nos.  And I think that it all comes back to that concept of equality. Equality is just that: equal at all times and in all respects. It's the exact opposite of what one of the characters in George Orwell's Animal Farm famously said, "All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others." Women aren't equal only when they choose to engage in certain "condoned" and "respected" activities. They are, and should be considered, equal all the time. Thus, a dancer on stage is just as equal as a mother at home with her children. A woman in a revealing outfit is just as equal as a women covering all of her skin. Belly dancers stand up for this idea of equality at all times and in all circumstances by refusing to let any negative connotations or stereotypes stand in their way, and instead hold fast in their dedication to, and passion for, their art form.

I also believe that in addition to this argument, belly dance is actually very pro-feminist based on the way it makes women who engage in it feel. Belly dance provides an outlet for creative expression for women of all ages, sizes and nationalities. Frankly, there aren't many dance genres out there where this is a true statement. From first-hand experience and from observing other dancers, I believe that belly dance fosters confidence and self-esteem in women, as performing gives women an opportunity and a platform to stand up in front of a room full of people and command their attention and their respect. Overall, I see belly dancers as a very confident and empowered group of women, who don't care what society's standards may think of them. They believe they have the right, and take advantage of the opportunity, to present and express themselves as they deem fitting through their art form. They embrace their bodies and aren't afraid to tastefully reveal them, knowing that a women's body isn't inherently sinful, nor does it require covering because someone else said so. They know that beauty isn't one size fits all and that they don't need to conform to a certain mold to feel good in their own skin. Through their practice, teaching and performance, they take time out of their day to focus on themselves and what brings them joy, rather than just executing the tasks that conventional society may say a woman "should" be doing.

I think one of the most important tenants of feminism is respecting each other's choices and realizing that feminism means the freedom to pick the life of your choosing and still command respect and equality, whether that means being a dancer, mother, or executive. Whether that means wearing a dance costume, a power suit, a bikini, sweatpants, or nothing at all. And I see belly dance as intrinsically part of this choice and part of a woman's right to be who she feels called to be.

Yes, I truly believe that belly dance is one step on the long and winding ladder to elevate women up toward equality. So to my sisters in dance I say, dance long and proud. You are beautiful. You are equal. You are valuable. You are a feminist.

Photo Credit: Unknown

Love Your Body

As a young girl I remember my mother stating that a woman's golden age is 25.  I can hear her lamenting over wrinkles and a post-baby body.  I recall her remarking with envy at the tiny waists of waif-like 20-somethings and stating that older women become invisible.  In short, from an early age, I was taught that a woman's value is defined by her outward beauty.

My mother was not a bad parent; she was simply a product of our society, as so many of us are – obsessing over what we see in the mirror.  And frankly ladies, it needs to stop.  We have so many more valuable things to be doing with our time and energy.

So what is the solution?  We need to stop buying into the ideas that mainstream media is selling us.  We need to unplug and instead surround ourselves with the people, activities, companies, and products that promote a healthy and balanced image of what it is to be female.  Find an activity that inspires and empowers you – surfing, belly dancing, aerial trapeze, yoga, whatever ignites your inner fire.  Find your tribe of like-minded women who build you up.  Stop dissecting what you see in the mirror and love yourself, exactly as you are, right now.  Stop waiting, life is too short.  Take back your power.

As I approach my 30th birthday this year, five years past my "golden age", I intend to celebrate.  My age and my appearance, do not define me.  I do. 

Picture Credit: Women's Natural Health Center