Egyptian women’s group calls on men to try the veil

http://observers.france24.com/content/20111114-egypt-egyptian-women-group-calls-men-try-veil-islamist-cairo-facebook-harassment-pressure

Photo of a sympathiser published on the event’s Facebook page.

 

An Egyptian student has created a Facebook page to launch an appeal to men: post photos of yourselves wearing the Islamic veil. This young woman believes it is unjust that a dress code is imposed only on women. It’s an amusing initiative but the message has not been well received by some.

 

Dozens of Egyptian men have already responded to the call since the initiative’s launch on November 1. Some internet users have even suggested transforming this project into a peaceful demonstration in Cairo’s famous Tahrir Square.

 

 

 

Photos published on Facebook.

"It’s a way of saying to men: ‘See how this feels!’ "

Aliaa El Mahdy is a university student and the administrator of the page "Resounding Cries."

 

For me, the veil is not a personal choice in Egypt, but the result of social and religious pressure. The girls I know who wear the veil do so because of their families or to avoid being hassled in the street. I don’t see why we should always dictate what women must wear and never what men must wear. Asking guys to put on the veil, if only for the time it takes to take the photo, is a way of saying to them ‘See how this feels!”

 

The other reason I launched this page is because society still considers women as sex objects. [83% of Egyptian women claim to have been victims of sexual harassment. Some women feel that the veil is a necessary form of protection against assault]. Many people, even on television, denounce the harassment of women in Egypt, but in my opinion this is not enough.

 

Obviously, I have been attacked and insulted because of this Facebook page. Some Internet users have responded to me by citing verses of the Koran. I realise that this is shocking for a conservative society like ours, but I am not going to change my ideas because of that.

 

 

Comments

[Nasreen_Amina]

"The other reason I launched this page is because society still considers women as sex objects".Agree with this! I think we must to encourage the end of the stereotypes and the respect of people, women and men, for what they are : a whole human being without labels.

But, Don't you think expose nudity on line is also a way to give an imagen of women as object? No matter the reason behind, I don't think people visiting the blog were there for Humans Rights or Equity at all.

I am feminist muslim very progressist but from my western sight, a dressed or naked woman make any difference at all about to finish with stereotypes and gender roles. What is needed is a change in the mentality.

This initiative of the photo is interesting for muslim in my community cause push them to think about the assumptions people manage about images in islam. I would like to use this material for a workshop about gender-roles-hiyab.

[azza sedky]

Here is the link to the original article if you want to use the info in a workshop. http://observers.france24.com/content/20111114-egypt-egyptian-women-group-calls-men-try-veil-islamist-cairo-facebook-harassment-pressure
I think, if nothing else, this article/site/discussion created an essential discourse amongst logical and rational muslims.