Month: November 2013

Sexual Harrasment, Sexual Harrasment in Egypt2 Comments

Horror in the Streets

Women of Egypt

By: Alexandra Kinias —- Reading about the sexual harassment incidents that women are confronting in Egypt on a daily basis evokes flashes of memories of a time where I, too, was a victim of this abhorrent crime. Sexual harassment was an epidemic that had spread across the country like uncontrollable wild forest fires. And as far back as my memory recalls, it was an endless endeavor that every woman in Egypt was subjected to on daily basis as they traveled the unsafe and unguarded streets, infested with male rabid species that are bred to attack. These male species are only … Continue reading Horror in the Streets

Violence against womenLeave a comment
Women of Egypt

                                        Stop Violence Against Women 25 November : International Day of the Elimination of Violence against Women Amnesty International  facts you should keep in mind: 1. Up to 70 % of women experience violence in their lifetime 2. Up to 50% of sexual assaults are committed against girls under the age of 16 3. 603 million women live in countries where domestic violence is not yet considered as a crime 4. Over 60 million girls worldwide are child brides, married before the … Continue reading

Uncategorized3 Comments

Qasim Amin and the Emancipation of Women

Women of Egypt

By: Alexandra Kinias —- It is shameful that more than a century after the Egyptian lawyer Qasim Amin (1863 – 1908) published his controversial books, The Liberation of Women and The New Woman that called for the emancipation of women; Egypt is witnessing a social and cultural relapse as the disturbing voices of radical Islamists are defying women’s freedoms and rights. The emancipation of Egyptian women began in the nineteenth century under the rule of Mohamed Ali (1766- 1849), when the first school to train women to be medical assistants was opened in 1832.  Forty years later, in 1873, the … Continue reading Qasim Amin and the Emancipation of Women

History of Veil, Veil, Women's RightsLeave a comment

The Evolution of the Harem

Women of Egypt

By: Alexandra Kinias —– During the golden age of the Abbasid Dynasty (750 AD – 1258AD), with its capital in Baghdad, the Islamic conquests reached their peak. The lands of the Islamic Empire extended from the Chinese boarders in Asia to Andalusia in Europe. The Arabs controlled the lands from Mount Sinai to the shores of the Mediterranean in North Africa and all the way to the Atlantic Ocean. The knights who fought under the banner of Islam conquered these lands for dominance, land expansion and spread Islam. These worriers were rewarded by receiving their shares from the spoils of … Continue reading The Evolution of the Harem

Politics3 Comments

Flashes from another Life

Women of Egypt

It is imperative to understand that the rise of political Islam in Egypt is the result of methodical and continuous planning and execution that has been in the making for decades. I witnessed the birth and growth of Islamic extremism in Egypt in the eighties of the last century. It was inevitable that the snowball that had started rolling back then would acquire momentum and these extremist movements would gain enough strength to drive the country in the direction which we are witnessing today. I recall an incident that happened to me thirty years ago, on a hot and humid … Continue reading Flashes from another Life