Salma Hayek tells of being sexual harassed in Egypt
Bikya Masr Staff12 November 2009 in Egypt, News, Sexual Harassment, Women
CAIRO: Salma Hayek told a symposium in Cairo that she was sexually harassed in Egypt when she was visiting the country when she was only 17-years-old. Her comments are likely to strike home for the millions of Egyptian women who complain daily of their poor treatment on Egyptian streets.
Speaking as an honored guest at the Cairo International Film Festival, the film star received warm greetings for the symposium held in her honor at a Cairo hotel to promote the festival’s events.
Hayek said she went on a touristic tour of Cairo, visited the Pyramids since her arrival earlier this month and expressed her happiness to visit Egypt for the second time in her life and that she thinks the country is very safe, saying she could accompany her daughter in the streets of Cairo without fear. In her native Mexico, where kidnapping is commonplace, this would be unheard of, the Frida, From Dust till Dawn and Fools Rush In star told the audience.
But, she recalled memories of her first visit to Cairo 26-years ago when she was 17, which immediately garnered the applause of the audience for revealing her age.
She told the crowd that when she was riding a camel near the Pyramids with her mother and aunt, the man who was pulling the camel began to pull the camel away and took her away from her family and destination. Hayek says that when she became scared she began to scream, until her mother heard her calls and brought police and a tourist guide to stop the man from taking her away.
The actress said she was caught off guard when the 70-year-old shepherd proposed to her and wanted to give her family camels as dowry. “I couldn’t believe my ears!” She tried to lighten the mood by adding, while laughing, “I could have lived all my life here in Egypt with the camel shepherd.”
The audience was obviously on edge during her retelling of the story, with one member of the audience saying “this is an insult to Egypt.” However, most in the audience accepted the story and moved on.
One journalist told Bikya Masr via telephone after the symposium that “we should have heard more about this story because it is important for outsiders to understand what happens here with women. It is horrible and Hayek knows this and has experienced it.”
Hayek continued to say that Egypt is not so different than Mexico, but she added that she noticed “Egypt is so polluted and the rate of air pollution is very high and terrible.” She told the audience “you should really pay more attention to your country, because it is beautiful and the people are good and all is wonderful, but the percentage of pollution is very bad.”
Hayek is in Cairo as a special guest to the region’s oldest film festival that began on Tuesday evening to a fireworks display on the Nile.
**reporting by Mohamed Abdel Salam
BM
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On which planet does Salma live?
A point to re-think and maybe to correct in her “true story”? She says: “…the man who was pulling the camel began to pull the camel away and took her away from her family and destination.” Tztztz! Her mother and her aunt must have been mersmerized and hypnotized by the Pyramids in order not to realize that her “beautiful young girl” was being taken away from them. On top of it by an old, 70 (!) year old man at a time when there was no Viagra!
Salma Hayek … from her native Mexico? I always thought that Mexican have Spanish names and not Arabic ones. One never stops learning.
The most striking element in this story though is the fact that she urges Egyptian people to take care of the environment: “She told the audience “you should really pay more attention to your country … (.)…the percentage of pollution is very bad.”
Two comments to this line of hers – first: her audience might be interested in all kind of shicky-micky-stuff but sure the true and sincere environment protection (which requires work and dedication) is the last thing on their minds. Otherwise it would not be a daily scene that obviously well-off people in their big cars are throwing garbage out of the windows onto the streets … and no! it’s not from the driver’s seat. And yes, the other ones do the same but they don’t claim to know!
Second: the common Egyptian (approx. 98,5 % of the population) is kept very busy trying to find means to make ends meet and to get through the day with his family in one piece. They are kept uneducated, without any hope or prospect for a better future and Salma expects them to take care of the environment???? Why doesn’t she address the proper party in who’s responsibily this is = the government??? No guts?!
I truly hope she doesn’t catch a cold …
salma hayek is half lebanese / half mexican!
This article is really not worthy of publishing. Mr. Mohamed Abdel Salam did a really good job defaming Egypt. Good job.
Dear Mohammed
Thanks for the info – I was not that serious
. I guess I just can’t stand people (women and men alike) who jump on the band wagon.
All irony aside: I do despise people who harass others – whether it is sexual harassment or any other form of harassment for that matter. I believe we all have the inherent right to live our lifes the way we see right and fit; always within the norms of our civil societies naturally. I also believe that sexual harassment is a very serious issue which doesn’t qualify to be a “mode” – and that’s what it seems to be at some point and for some people.
As I fell on this site by accident I’ve become very curious: what qualifies as or what is called “sexual harassment”? Is it just a mere “ya gamila” or is it groping and touching? If compliments “thrown” at a woman or a simple “sabah al cher” qualifies as harassment, then it is rampant. But then it is also rampant e.g. in Spain where men compliment almost all women for their looks passing by on the streets. They call it “propinas” (=compliments) and nobody makes a fuss about it. On the contrary – women talk about it laughingly (and with a certain pride although they would never admit it in public).
Personally I would love to see the real issue addressed of which “sexual harassment” is just a symptom. But so far I have not come accross an article which honestly and openly addresses it.
Who knows – it might be in the making …
how is this defaming Egypt? Sexual harassment is a very real reality that affects nearly 100 percent of women who live here.
Then you need to address is locally so the people who may be taking part in this would be receptive to your message and try change their ways. What fraction of the people who live there will read your post? Close to none. Instead your message seems to me catered to the outside world with the catchy title and serves non of the local women who live there.
Dear admin
Being the only one (unfortunately) who voices an opinion in this column I can safely assume that you’re addressing me (?). Now it would be lovely if you’d have the courtesy to point out to me where I “defame” Egypt?!
Having said that I think I was very clear in my statement that I despise harassment of any form which – as I also pointed out – includes sexual harassment. My question “what qualifies as sexual harassment” stays unanswered although it is very important to define the starting line of a discussion.
But I equally despise socalled “prominence” who have a different agenda (?) and jump on the band-wagon. They do not serve any purpose but merely damage the real case.
My question stems from a discussion we had yesterday in a women’s group where some took the stand that no men should address them unless asked to do so … One took issue with a men who asked her for direction (she being the only person standing at the entrance to that building) and she felt very insulted and qualified this as harassment. His question (according to her): “Do you live here – I’m looking for Eng. XYZ”. You understand were I’m coming from?
As for sexual harassment: by lamenting over an issue and not taking severe actions – which first and foremost starts with honesty – nothing is solved. To be cristal clear: with actions I mean to address the real issue.
In simple terms – sexual harassment is the symptom … (.. ?…) is the disease. You fill in the cap.
Salam
I think she was trying to tell a point in a humourous way….by a story…
I totally agree with her point of You should pay more attention to your beautiful country…….
I live here…….I agree whole heartedly.
we were referring to Masry if you look at what they wrote. sorry for the mix up
It is a news story. People can take it for whatever purpose they want. This is news.
On a second note – I have read now all of your articles and came accross one that highlights one of the biggest problems in combatting sexual harassment: “What to do about Egypt’s sexual harassment problem” by Joseph Mayton (http://bikyamasr.com/?p=849). Excellently written and to the point.
Another point of action should be to empower women and girls. I know Egypt is still a (mainly) closed and conservative society – without negative connotation from my side b.t.w. When I came here almost 2 decades ago I was then shocked about the stories I heard from the teenage-nieces of my husband. Moreso I was shocked to hear that none of them had the slightest idea of how to defend themselves against offenders!
When I taught them what my parents taught me in my teenage years (in the 70’s) I was even more astonished to realize that they only had a very vague idea of what I was talking about. One of the lessons I learned first from my father (!) was how to hit a man with the knee in his sensitive private parts if I was gropped and attacked. Much to my surprise the mother of the girls told me “No! We can not do that!”. No? But she could accept that she and/or her girls be gropped and harassed??!!
Still today one does only talk with a lot of embarassement, giggeling and round-about way about certain VITAL things and knowledge for girls. This too must change in our Egyptian society for the sake and security of us women.
Another point to tackle is the non-reporting of rape. Yes – RAPE which is also almost “rampant” (where are the articles about this issue??). I do remember a serial I’ve seen with Youssra where 3 women got raped. It resulted in heated discussions among us and except for two women none would have reported it.
Why? The shame, the scandal, the “lost honor” (as if the girls asked for it!), the (un)honor killing that might follow by some backward thinking father, uncle or brother – you name the reasons. The life-long suffering of the victims didn’t enter their consideration as being the most important point. Neither the fact that a horrendous crime gets covered-up by the victim itself could change their minds.
The could-be action here: why not form support (women) groups who help the victims – with the assistance of lawyers – from the time of the reporting to the police throughout the whole case? Make some publicity for these groups. Publish their phone numbers. Establish a hotline.
Why not follow the example of Dubai and plaster the walls with the pictures of harassers and their names? Why not use for once the mobile phone (most of them have cameras today), take a picture, photocopy it and publicize it? Even pretending to take a picture might make these scumbags re-think.
Why not take on the police if they refuse action or if they make (heard) comments like: “It’s your fault that you got raped because …”? Or “ma’alesh, just change your phone number!”. If they refuse to take on the case go to the Ministry of Interior – go to the media – demonstrate on the streets. Rape and sexual harassement is not something the victim has to be ashamed of!!!! Get this out of your minds – girls and women, sisters AND brothers AND fathers AND uncles!!!
These CRIMINALS have to be severely punished!
I’m aware that this is a difficult task having lived through this change myself in my native European country. But the result is worth the effort.
And it requires serious and dedicated work … not some fancy shicki-micky by visitors who look for a photo-op.
Hello admin
Sorry for the mix-up too – my computer had his lazy moment and didn’t show any other postings
.
Do you think it is possible to adjust this forum in a way that the responses to a comment get attached under that one? Would make it easier to discuss and to follow a discussion.
Alternatively we all can take up the habit of making reference to which comment we answer.
Dear Masry (your comment #4)
This is something which makes me crawl up the walls and at times hit the roof!!!
Why is it, that if someone who utters critisism and points out a situation which needs urgent LEGISLATIVE and JUDICIAL action is defaming Umm el Dunyya????
If I understand what you’re saying correctly we should all be quite and accept to be harassed and raped “in the name and for the protection of Egypt”???? You hopefully still have your mother – you may have aunts, sisters etc. … just pray that nothing happens to them. But if it does – BE QUITE, ‘ENJOY IT’ AND ACCEPT IT FOR THE SAKE OF NATIONALISM! Ghee … it’s a long time since I’ve heard such utter nonsense.
Your argument only shows how mentally bankrupt people like you are and goes perfectly in line with the remark of Suzanne Mubarak who said that “Egyptian men do respect women” (or similar).
It’s a very strange way Egyptian men show their respect, indeed!
i don’t know what kind of sexual harassed in Egypt u r talking about .. i was at that press conferance she said he was been kidnaping me to be a new wife to him she didn’t say that he raped her or attack her so you would claim that she was seual hareassed ( he didn’t even touch her ) ….. and before she tell that story she said ” i will tell you all a funny story ” she didn’t say ” hi I will tell you all a scary story ” …
and if she think that Egypt doesn’t save enough for her she wouldn’t came with her husband and her 2 years old doughter … she would at least came alone and left her little girl in France with her hausband …
if you think that someone look at a girl in the street or even tell her you are sexy girl or something like that is sexy harassed then give any country name that doesn’t happened there ….
maybe there is a few rapping cases but again tell me if there is any country that doesn’t happened there .
and about the percentage of pollution is very bad in egypt just tell me one country doesn’t have it ….
i’m a young girl live in Egypt all the times i walk on streets and feel save coz i know that nothing bad will happened to me and if someone try to harassing me there will be more men will stop him and will teach him the leason of his life ..
and yeah men here really are respecting women and treat them very will too
and by the way Egypt is having free education from kindder garden to collage ( if u don’t know that fact ” and the uneducated pepole at that country is just 10-15 % so it’s not very high uneducated …
and i think that the one who say that the Egyption people is unclean pepole and threw the garbade through the cars window doesn’t see Egypt for a very long long time ….
Why not bring this issue to the government’s attention, to the local media, local social groups, local union groups, local educational institutions as oppose to plastering it on the the net in a non-native language where a minority in Egypt will ever read your article. Countries around the world face similar and worse problems but I don’t see anyone out there hanging their dirty laundry out in the web except for you guys. You have a valid message but your target audience appears to be misplaced and in the midst your are defaming an entire country. I am sorry you may not like what I am saying but it is true. I would prefer to keep these e-mails private with the author but I did not find his e-mail address. If you wish to remove my comments you may do so as I beleive my point was made clear to you. Eleonora, I am questioning the forum in which these issues are being addressed and the target audiance. I am not making light of them. Also, your comment that “It’s a very strange way Egyptian men show their respect, indeed!” shows that you need some psychiatric help.
I wholeheartedly agree with this article. I visited Egypt last year after promising to go for several years. My goodness, what an amazing country. However, nothing and I mean nothing could ever induce me to go back and sadly I could never recommend it to friends especially solo female travellers. I saw two women groped in broad daylight in Luxor with tourist police standing by who acted like they didn’t see it but in spite of this the sexual harassment in Luxor was bearable, in Cairo it was horrific. We did no walking anywhere, you felt very very intimidated. From the taxi drivers, hotel staff, restauranteurs, museum staff and shop staff it was tiring. One man who was as old as Moses asked me if I was African and if I was circumcised because he wanted to make sex with me !!!!!!! Huh ???????
I had to go to Istanbul the following year for work and I dreaded it. Having never travelled to a Muslim country before I thought I could expect the same treatment as Egypt. How wrong I was. I was not harassed at all except maybe to eat at a tourist restaurant or to buy some Turkish delight. It was such a delight and what an amazing country.
The Egyptian government needs to address this problem all round. Make jobs for the young so that they can afford to marry and not troll the streets harassing women for sex because lets face it without marriage no Egyptian girl is giving anything up and in spite of stereotypes few tourist go abroad looking for it either. When all else fails punish them severely because eventually tourism will suffer and in a country that depends on the tourist dollar this could mean big problems for people trying to make a living.
Isnt it ironic that photos like the one displayed here are part of the reason for the rise of sexual harrasement in Egypt?
Egyptian media is following in the footsteps of its western counterpart in exploiting the notion that ’sex sells’ by exposing the general population to explicit nudity and sexual references, which demote and degrade women, and reduce them to mere objects. In a society which is already ultraconservative when it comes to gender relationships, and where, for economic reasons, it is becoming increasingly difficult to get married, male youth are faced with an intense sexual frustration which they release in the form of sexual harrasment.
If Bikya Masr want to seriously address the rising problem of sexual harrasement in Egypt, they ought to start by removing this picture!
Dear Masry – yr comment # 15
My comment wich you don’t seem to like was meant ironic – I do have that trait (and love sarcasm too) and I’m not apologizing for it
! But bear it in mind if you choose to continue exchanging views with me 
. On a serious note and without any irony and having said that …
… also bear in mind that the government is totally absent and has withdrawn itself from any responsibility towards the citizens – it’s raison d’être and it’s first and foremost duty according to the constitution! Anyone denying this is either living somewhere else or is a blind follower of the system. Just look at the state of our streets, the traffic (which miraculously can be controlled for 1 week when someone like Obama comes), at the mountains of garbage, our street children, our illiteracy rate, our educational system, our government offices, our postal system, our railway, the selling out of our beautiful country and its heritage … should I go on? The list is endless! But – as our today’s prime minister said so pointedly: “The government is not your mother and father!” Is there a clearer way to declare governmental bankrupty? I don’t think so.
You say “…bring this issue to the government’s attention, to the local media …”. It HAS been brought umpteen times to their attention and nothing happens except that now are some feeble attempts by discussing the possibility of a new law. Read the other articles re sexual harassment and the (also mine) comments – it’s worth it. Or better yet – take your sister and go and report a case of sexual harassment to the police and see what happens. After that … we can continue discussing.
You talk about dirty laundry (I was btw not aware that this is a site not originating in Egypt, I landed here by coincidence) – see, the West accuses our societies (Arabic and/or Islamic) always of not being able of discurs, dissent, of open discussions, of reflection – all you do is helping to cement this prejudice. We (and I include myself proudly because I live here since almost 2 decades) MUST talk about unpleasant issues too and stop sweeping them under the rug. … They accumulate and become a heap which bulges the carpet …
.
It is a sign of a healthy society if negative issues are discussed openly and frankly. Disagreement and dissident must be allowed and must take place otherwise people stop participating in building and reforming their societies and disinterest and demotivation takes place = exactly what we have today. The common response today is “I cannot make a difference … my life is not too bad (or so miserable that I don’t have the time as I’m kept busy trying to make ends meet!) … this is not our country anymore, we just happen to live here, … etc.” If you reflect for a moment you will agree with me. If not I would be highly interested in reading your thoughts.
You’re wrong in your assumption that other countries don’t address their domestic problems in an open way. Heated debates take place PUBLIC and in the media. I hope you can and will check out some of the (also english translated) websites to get confirmation of what I’m saying. This is simply the way it MUST be in a democratic and healthy society and state.
I don’t want to sound patronizing – I don’t have the right nor the arrogance to be that. But given the limited means I had to put it in this simplified nutshell. No offense meant.
As for the case at hand – every country knows sexual harassment. It is as old as mankind and will always exist. That’s not the stumbling point. But they way the government and the society deals with it – and again mainly the legislative and judicial institutions! – is the achilles heel in this whole story. Denying that it exists on this scale gives it room to even further grow as the offenders feel safe due to the silence of the victims (out of WRONG shame) but mostly due to the disinterest and inactivity of the government.
As the saying goes: every society is as strong as it’s weakest link. I’ll sign to that 100%.
I hope to read you soon and wish you a beautiful day in this beautiful, fascinating, chaotic Umm el Dunyya of ours
.
Salam
Eleonora @ #18 – I totally agree with you. Egyptian women need to speak up or this cancer will spread and kill your beautiful country.
The government does not care about Egyptians and this is something I heard when I visited last year. It is every man for themselves and it is heartbreaking. Egypt gave the world science, medicine, trade, female Pharoahs FIRST. When the rest of the world was living in caves, Egypt was the greatest nation on earth. I could weep when I look at what it has become.
It is such a beautiful country and I didn’t even begin to see half of it when I visited last year and it pains me that I will probably never will but I cannot bear to take myself to a country when I fear for my sexual safety so much. I have spoken to female travellers who have also been and they have said the same thing. We are talking about mature women who dress in baggy trousers, long sleeve tops and in my case even wearing a scarf. But no, the harassment continued unabated and not one person said they would ever go back although many would love to.
Something must be done and fast. My heart goes out to Egyptian women. I watched them being harassed on the streets of Cairo from my taxi and I wept. I’m not talking about young girls but grown married women walking with their young children !!!! How disrespectful. Fancy living like that, night and day.
And for all you negative posters who live in la la land for goodness sake if you cannot contribute positively to the argument then go visit another site. Stop making out like everything is ok in Egypt when things are far from ok. The laissez-faire attitude must stop. Yes, Egypt is great and wonderful but the majority of your men are becoming creepy perverts and the government are allowing it. Create jobs to get young boys off the streets, so that they can marry and become responsible men and fathers and not sexual predators. Stop looking out for the select few who know people in the right places. Stop giving jobs to someone because their father has money and connections. Look out for everyone – young and old, rich and poor.
Speaking out about sexual harassment does not discredit your country, it highlights the problem so that measures can be put in place to address it. Trust me, Egyptian women may be strong and can turn the other cheek but British and American women do not “fly” like that. I read on another site that a young British girl was sexually assaulted on a “DIscover Egypt” Nile cruise. I don’t know what became of it but trust me Egypt will have big problems when Western women are raped because THEIR government unlike yours will not tolerate it. Let’s see what the Egyptian goverment will do about that when tourists start taking their money and their women elsewhere.
Egypt wake up and smell the coffee before it is too late.
Lastly Dali, you are not a young Egyptian women so please stop lying and why shouldn’t Salma travel with her 2 year old daughter ? What are you implying ? That her 2 y o daughter was in danger of being sexually harassed? Why should she not travel with her daughter and husband, don’t women do the same in Egypt ?
If you are indeed a female, shame on you. Lets hope your daughter doesn’t come home raped and violated because you sound like the type of mother who woulld tell her to go and have a shower and forget about it. Or worse, take her to a barber to be circumcised, just in case that violent demeaning horrid act gave her ideas.
Attitudes like yours is the reason why this issue is out of control.
dear jjb
i am indeed an Egyption girl and i am very proud of my country .. i do recommend u to read what t write very will before u say anything …
i said if salma doen’t feel that Egypt is very save she won’t come with her doughter and her husbend the most two important thing in her life …
and i said that there is no sexual harassed in the egyption street and if someone try to haressed any girl walking in street there will be more men will teach him the leason of his life and protect that girl without even she ask thier help …
so plz go and read what i wrote again before u replay
Dear Dali – yr comment #15
You either are a true patriotic Egyptian (who is jealous of her country which is commendable) or you are like many others just echoing the NDP party line and slogans … which is not so commendable. Problem is in both cases burrying the head in the sand never brings any positive results.
I do fully agree with you that all the countries in the world have to a certain degree the same set of problems. Does this mean that we, therefore, can ignore them? Do you mean to say because e.g. Switzerland has cases of sexual harassment … we should not make any efforts in making our streets safe AGAIN for us women? The huge difference here is: the Swiss government (or any other country for that matter) does actively something against these criminals and protects its (female) citizens whereas here in Egypt the officials turn a vastly blind eye to the problem(s) and try to white-wash it with the help of Suzanne Mubarak (see her relevant statement!). You too walk behind the same (party) line.
Yes sexual harassment is not specific to Egypt – but HERE IT DOESN’T GET ADDRESSED and, therefore, not controlled by those in the seats of power!
SELDOM do you find a country which IGNORES these problems so steadfast and consequent and is in constant DENIAL like the official Egypt. Not only that: our government is party to the crime as with their inactivity and desinterest in the wellbeing of its citizens it furthers the cases of these and other criminals.
Whether it is the striking poverty and the economy which is in shambles, the environment, the public transport, public health, water and electricity supply, garbage collection … you name it – the government washes its hands clean off it. Have you ever driven or walked down Mansoureya canal, the streets of Maadi, Dokki? I don’t even ask you if you ever walked the streets of Shobra or Mansheyat Nasr … there you walk in garbage and sewage.
And as for the garbage thrown out of car windows – whether it is plastic bags, Kleenex, chips bags, cigarettes or their empty packets – all it takes you is a 2 hours drive in the streets of Cairo and you would know that what I’m saying is true. Though I suspect you know it already …
Education: yes, Gamal Abdel Nasser introduced free education and 30-40 years ago it was definitely good. Many of our friends are still proud that they are graduates of the Cairo University (which used to be among the best world wide) and not of some fancy private university or academy like it is the norm today. But the days where one got a good education through the official system are long gone and Cairo University doesn’t even figure among the best 500 anymore!!!!!!. Destroyed. When have you last been inside a school which is run by the state???? Have you ever seen one of them from the inside???
Illiteracy: the official illiteracy rate is 83 % for male and 59,4 % for women (2005), it goes without saying that the real figure is much higher! If you keep repeating the slogans of the NDP you don’t make things better. Denial has never been the answer to problems.
There are so many complex wrongs in this country – none of them get really addressed. Sexual harassment is just one little tiny tip of the huge iceberg.
A point for you to ponder:
20 years ago the girls and women where not veiled, they were wearing mini-skirts and spaghetti tops, they walked the streets alone and were not harassed on this scale. What happened?? In my opinion the only difference is that the government took its hands off and discipline has disapeared from the streets. And why? Because the government took its hands off. And this applies to every walk of life – like it or not.
This government can only survive if it creates continuous chaos – and that it does. Only if people are kept spinning on their heels trying to make ends meet can the classe politique and the “elite” thrive with their dirty business without check and balances.
But as you so eloquently say:”yeah” … what I’m saying is not party line and, therefore, you shouldn’t think too much about it.
Dear Mohamady – yr comment #18
You beat the sack and mean the donkey … it is so easy to blame the sexual harassment of women in Egypt on a picture. As if all men in Egypt are checking first Bikya Masr ,,, and then run and harass some women. Give us all a break!
It serves this serious issue well if it is discussed openly and frankly. But you do it a diservice if you ome up with some window dressing and superficial reasons.
The deeper reason for the rise of sexual harassment, crime, frustration, joblessness, poverty, deteriorating roads and railroads, collaps of the health service, collaps of the garbage collection, no clean water and no electricity for a vast part of the population, people having to live in sewage and drink from it … please add the rest as the list is too long … is the fact that this government doesn’t care what happens to the state’s institution and to its citizens. It has divorced itself from their plight. It has taken its hand off. It creates intenden and planned chaos!
That’s basically all to it. The rest is as I said nit-picking, window dressing, beating the sack and meaning the donkey … pick what you like.
Salam
Ohhh – I almost forgot this:
Is there a cheaper “excuse” than the one “that the victim incites and/or invites the offender to commit certain crimes”?? Whether it’s a photo, a dress or a blouse …
No one – but really NO ONE – has the right to touch, grope or slur a person because of his/her looks or cloths. And definitely it can NEVER be an excuse for some scumbag of man to sexually harass women.
Dali – your comment #15 and 23 was read and understood clearly.
I believe Eleonora made a good reference to your post; that you are either a fierce patriotic and would prefer your women are raped and attacked on the streets rather than exposing this horrid disease to the rest of the world. Or you are like the rest of the government who ignore the problem and their wives make no contribution to the problem either. When was the last time that Suzanne Mubarak had to wait two hours for a bus to get home, only to watch her back whilst she briskly walks home from college in the dark for fear of having her honour violently taken from her ???
YOUR GOVERNMENT DOES NOT CARE ABOUT YOU – SHAME THEM, EXPOSE THEM because when Egypt becomes an unbearable place to live, they will jet off to their New York apartment and leave you to rot in the streets. I met a lovely Egyptian girl over here where I live. She is a student and has made up her mind that she is not going back to Egypt once she graduates. It is important for her to marry a Muslim but she said she has no problem falling in love and marrying a man of a different race or religion if it makes her chances of settling down easier. Do you see where I’m getting at ? If all Egyptians studying abroad think like this lady, you country will suffer a brain drain. The great Egypt will become extinct.
Save your country. You young people are the future. Stop hiding things under the carpet. Get moving. Times are changing fast.
yes the women who visit Egypt are sexually harassed. I think you dont respect the stranger women only your and it is very bad
Even if we are not muslims we are respectable so stop
Checkout Wikipedia on crime rates in Mexico (Salma’s native country) and compare to your own:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crime_in_Mexico
“Rape is rarely reported or punished, owing to old social norms, minor penalties for the crime, and criminal laws. In some rural areas, penalties for rape may consist of a few hours in jail, or minor fines.”
Masry @ #28 – The fact that Mexico has it’s own social problems is no excuse for resting on your laurels and not addressing your own.
“People who live in glass houses should not throw stones” and that applies to you as well jjb.
Dear Masry – yr comment#28
Your link is very informative, thank you. And now? Because Mexico – and any other country as I said before – has a (high or otherwise) crime rate and in the case of Mexico handles sexual offenders rather “lenient” does this mean that we (women) in Egypt should be quite, accept everything and burry our heads in the sand until all other countries have solved their problems?!
If Mexico would have a better system in place, free of corruption and proper penalties in place which get applied … don’t you think it would make a difference?
From your link: “In June 2004, at least a million people marched through the capital and other cities to protest the failure of federal and local governments to control crime in one of the world’s most crime-ridden countries.[29]
In 2008 a second civilian protest was made after independent NGOs exhorted the public, again, at least one million people attended over Mexico City and other major cities all across Mexico; on this second march candles were lit and the national anthem was played.”
And such statements get me each and every time – some lifes are more valuable than others (Animal Farm Symptom):
“The protest [in 2008] generated more public attention perhaps because on this same year a 12 year old son of the Marti family, owners of a prominent well known sports gear business was abducted and murdered. On this same year, a similar situation occurred to the 19 year old daughter of Nelson Vargas, a business man and former government representative. These two cases brought great public attention since the scale of crime and violence was very rare to hit over certain social groups, being these amongst the most remarkable exemptions.”
Do I need say more???? Only if it hits “certain people” it get’s attention – any similarities are sheer coincidence …
Check this link out too, although it is very incomplete: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crime_in_Egypt
And check this out: http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1108.html. There you read: The Embassy has received increasing reports over the last six months of foreigners being sexually groped in taxis and in public places.” The talk here is about Egypt. Well??
In the same link of the US Government we also read with respect to Egypt: “The crime rate in Egypt is low.” Isn’t this great? That’s a phenomenon I always proudly mention in discussions. Given the extreme poverty it is really surprising. But it is low because of what? Because the justicial system is so strict, because punishment is so deterring, because … the crimes don’t get reported as the police is busy with everything except with doing its job??
Much more important: it is low COMPARED to what and whom?
See, the starting point is already wrong. The only correct comparison is … compare Egypt today to Egypt say … 20, 30 or 40 years ago. Compare it to say … South Africa, Mexico or America … and Egypt will always be a shining star that sticks out.
What’s the use of it? Is our desaster more acceptable because other countries have their own desasters too? What kind of a logic is this … other than the NDP-logic (which is Zero)?
It never ceases to amaze me this game with comparisons. When it comes e.g. to crime rates the comparison with Mexico (in t his case) comes in very handy.
What if we would compare democracy in say America to the one in Egypt? … Then hundreds of payed mouths (the very same ones that love to compare when it’s helping their cause!) come out crying and shouting “foul”! THIS fact one cannot compare! Because Egypt’s democracy is still in its infancy (since 40 + years!) … because Egypt’s society is not ready for democracy (who is to judge? the ruling elite??????) … because … today it rains … whatever.
~*~*~
As a bedtime story I recommend to read: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexual_Harassment, especially the section “Common effects on the victim”.
Salam
Masry, I don’t see how your comment is relevant to the blog but whatever.
excuse me mr. Mohamady comment no.15
i dont thin the picture or the dress of the woman justifies being raped or harassed.. women wear whatever they like as much as men wear whatever they like, have u ever saw a man being groped or harassed? why do we always blame it on women!
and publishing such pic is not ironic, you need to stop thinking that the body of the woman should be buried in black clothes!!!
Mr.Masry i dont think the article defames Egypt at all.. Salma Hayek said these statements in a press conference which was covered by all egyptian media!!!
what defames egypt is certain behaviors , sadly by some Egyptians!!!
we must over come this problem , really . it is sad.. that we are still debating over women clothes and hijab and such issues , while other countries are moving from an achievement to another!
shameful!
@ Eleonora and Mohamed (comment no.25 and 34)
Firstly do not strawman my argument…I never stated that it was ok to sexually harrass a woman even if she was dressed inappropriately, lets get this straight so you dont repeat that proposterous accusation again. And while I agree with you Eleonora that the government’s negligence has a large role to play in problems such as sexual harrasment, one has to still look at the greater picture.
Several scientific studies have shown that there is an imbalance between men’s sexual perception of women and that of women to men (see for example an article in the Journal of Experimental Ssocial Psychology entitled ‘Interacting with women can impair men’s cognitive functioning’). Men are clearly more sexually driven and affected by women displaying their body than women are with respect to men. This is a fact, you might not like it, or find it uncomfortable or whatever, but its a fact.
This ofcourse doesnot in anyway justify sexual harrasment or perversion of any kind, but that is precisely what iam arguing against. Sexual harrasment and other sexual malpractices between men and women have to be looked at from two sides; that of the woman and of the man. It is extremely ignorant to just pretend that all these men are just pure evil and harrass women for absolutely no reason. It is also equally ignorant to say that these men are justified in anyway. Its a two way process; islamically men are ordered to lower their gaze and respect women, while women are ordered to not expose their bodies in a sexually provocative way. It is only when these two criterias are met that sexual harrasment is killed at its roots. And in a way they both feed into each other; if men show control over their primary urges and respect women theyll encourage women to dress modestly and respect themselves, and if women refrain from wearing revealing clothing, they will allow men to view them with the respect they deserve.
And no i dont expect someone to go out and harrass a woman just because of that image, but its a matter of principle. the internet is littered with shameless displays of women as sexual objects, this picture here and another advert on aother site, and another music video on another channel all together will ultimately lead to alot of testosterone. And with marriage becoming increasingly difficult, this testosterone i ultimately released into sexual malpractices, including sexual harrasment.
Dear Mohamady – yr comment #34
I’m sorry to read that you somewhere down the line misread my comment # 25. I did NOT accuse you of thinking that sexual harassment of women is OK – why should I do that? I just responded to your “picture statement” with a pinch of irony
.
I do cite studies too when it serves my argument and while I do in no way doubt the outcome of the study I do have my inner doubts when it comes to the honesty of women in such studies. I’m sure you get the fine tuning difference. Women are – sorry to say that I myself am part of this delicate group
– very rarely open AND honest when it comes to … do I dare saying it? … the “no-no” of pure sexuality. Most women still want to make believe (or really think?) that sexuality has always to be decorated with love and romance otherwise it is below the acceptable niveau = dirty. Yes, this is the open truth whether we women like it or not. We do surely react differently to temptations of the other sex … but believe me, we do react to physical temptations and our hormones go wild too.
I do profoundly refuse the idea that men in general (this would include my father, husband, uncles, brothers, nephews and male friends) are mainly driven by their sexual desires and their hormones when dealing with women. They do NOT turn into beasts with their saliva dripping from their mouths just because they see some female flesh – be it an arm, part of a breast or a leg! Men do have their brain still in their head skulls too and not somewhere else! I fail to understand that men accept the label of being compared to an animal driven by its basic instincts. I would strongly protest if I were a man.
You say: “… islamically men are ordered to lower their gaze and respect women, while women are ordered to not expose their bodies in a sexually provocative way …”
Two points to this remark:
(1) one can not “be ordered” to have respect – islamically or otherwise. I personally have a basic respect for everybody I meet (man, woman, Muslim, Christian, Jew, Atheist … whatever) – until proven by this person that s/he doesn’t deserve my respect.
(2) Let’s assume for the sake of the argument that you’re right and all it takes is women dressing “modestly” = we should go in sack and ashes and be invisible under the hijab and the abaya … why then is the absolute majority of Egyptian girls and women (a stunning 83% if the numbers are correct) harassed? Mind you: according to surveys over 90% of the Muslim women in this country are wearing the Hijab and adhering to the “islamic” dress code (long sleeves, covered to the ankles and to the neck). Even Munaqabat get harassed!
WHY are they harassed?? (My I remind you of what you say: “It is only when these two criterias are met that sexual harrasment is killed at its roots.”) It doesn’t seem to work because you left out the most important and deciding factor from the equation which is the absence of any state authority and discipline. This is in my opinion the greater picture – not the other way around.
In Europe the rate of sexual harassment has reduced over the last few decades. And you would certainly agree with me that women do dress more liberal there. As you know, Europe is rather secular, is also not part of Dar al Islam and, therefore, one can not get anywhere with religious arguments and/or explanations. Being European myself I do attest that “our” men are not better and not worse than men in general. The only – but very significant – difference between here and there is that in Europe (and most part of the world) they have meantime meaningful and at times rigid laws in place (and which are ENFORCED) for sexual offenders. Every person knows that if s/he gets caught and convicted there is no way out with “cosa”, “who knows who”, “whom the offender is” and/or bribery or – worse yet – thanks to the absence of proper government can get away with it.
A point for you to ponder on (from a previous comment of mine):
20 years ago the girls and women [in Egypt] were not veiled, they were wearing mini-skirts and spaghetti tops, they walked the streets alone and were not harassed on this scale. What happened?? In my opinion the only difference is that the government took its hands off and discipline has disapeared from the streets. … And this applies to every walk of life – like it or not.
A last point which you correctly address: the difficulty of getting married. Why is it today so difficult to get married? Because of the collaps of the education system there is no meaningful education, there are no jobs available for our youngsters (almost exclusively only if Papa has a friend who knows a friend who has a friend in the right place …), therefore they can not make money and safe and, therefore, can not afford to marry and support a family. And who’s fault is this? The women’s????? Or is it rather again because the government cuts itself off of any responsibility towards the citizens? As Ahmed Nadif said so pointedly: “The government is not your mother and your father”. Yes, right he is – no mother and no father would be able to bear the sight of their children in such a misery as the vast majority of Egyptian people have to live in today and not do their utmost to change their plight!
Elected by the people and for the people … forgotten or was it never the case (?).
Interested to read your thoughts,
Salam
My apologies – it should naturally read “yr comment #35″
This comment has been removed by the moderator for insults and poor language choice
ar this news paper does not having good thing to do????!!!!!!
and i am not sure what this news paper working for whom.
I think it is good idea to write ” How to grow Corn& wheat and how to clean the streets.
you guyes in egypt should direct your energy for helping your selves.”wak-up”
and closed this type of stuped news paper.
While it’s true people need to focus on feeding themselves and their families here in Egypt, they could also make a small effort not to just throw their trash to the streets and sidewalks. It would be nice if the government would provide more trash bins (with bottoms please) and a regular sanitary trash collection.
One thing we Egyptians must do for ourselves is address the female sexual harassment issue! YES! There is a BIG problem. Egyptian men need to learn self control and respect for women, sorry, but this is not defaming anyone, it’s the pure, unadulterated truth.
Keeping our mouths shut about a problem doesn’t make it go away, it only allows it to grow.
If you’re going to expose your breasts the way she does don’t f*cking complain your getting harrased! She’s hot though
To Jose Janzala – yr “comment” #39
Two unsolicited and, therefore, free pieces of advice:
1. If you feel an uncontrollable urge to defecate why don’t you simply sit on your toilet and spare us your intellectual findings?
2. Learn at least how to spell your favorite word: it spells STUPID.
Salam
Dear Nakia – yr comment #40
I couldn’t agree with you more. We women have to speak out as nobody else does – and why should they? We have to learn to stand (again) on our own feet.
I’m working intensly in my personal environment to raise the awareness and to provide help as good as possible. Why don’t you do the same – that is if you don’t do it already? We discuss how to react best and effective, how to defend ourselves and – worse case scenario – what to best do in case of being physically harassed incl. rape.
One thing though we don’t believe in is … going in sack and ashes
. We all wear “normal” Christian and Islamic clothes incl. some of us the hijab, we walk upright and look people straight in their eyes. In simple words: we are self-confident. It turned out in discussions where men were included, that a self-confident behaviour acts to some point as a deterrant. Try it – if you don’t have it already.
I believe that Egyptian men of all faith are as good and as bad as all other men worldwide. The one thing that’s lacking here resp. is totally absent is the control and discipline enforced by the government. Only because there is no law enforcement can crime “blossom” at this rate. Let’s hope that this will change one day soon.
Wish you luck and take care
[...] View original here: Salma Hayek tells of being sexual harassed in Egypt | Bikya Masr [...]
Sexual harrassment is a real problem in Egypt and it stuns me how most Egyptians deny it exists. Trust me it has nothing to do with how you dress. I am American and I was harrassed no matter how i looked or what i was wearing and i know lots of women who went through similar experiences. My 55 year old boss was regularly harrassed on her way to work! I was harrassed when I was seven months pregnant walking down the street with my three year old daughter. In the last couple of years we lived there, I had men making obscene gestures when I was in the car with my children. How low can you get it? One irony i noticed about Egypt is that they are very sensitive about their international image and get very upset about any one saying anything negative but don’t want to do anything to solve these problems.
Over the years, I’ve spoken to several people who had been to Egypt on vacation but would never visit again because they were harrassed. Maybe when Egyptians see there are economic consequences they might tackle it.
yr “comment” #42,
Do not fiting with me because I did type fast with out looked out to my splining for word STUPID,STUPID .
if you real man STOP asking USA and anther Country for helping you by mony, Wheat& Corn so you can set on your fat ass do no thing, this mean ” you can not feed your selfe”. This mean bend over, this mean go work as a pem, and if you want fiting: 1- go fit Israil that keling plastenian Since 1948. 2- do not waiting for your government to provide more trash bins (with bottoms please) and a regular sanitary trash collection as
real egyption #40 (Nakia)sad
This allows hapining around the world, any hoo, she need attansion, you guyes focuse in helping your selfes (start by your self “self- support”, your family, and your neighbour NOT waiting until for your government BABY SET YOU ,
even in the reach country Like USA it is private Company to do this work and every one have to pay, NOT goverment.(you guyes every house and flat can donate to make Recyclables Garbage [ Plastic Roll Container with Lid to keep water/ Flayes away] and this Container Designed to every house hold waste and similar refuse products with out place hazardous products on it, and spical design truks pick it-up once or twice a week. etc… this one example if you are real EGYPTION and trying to help. NOT empty news paper does not having any thing better to do Accept trying to make this type of news, and keeping the people away from real problem, or fix them own probem, or be positve or useful in the Egypt calture, I feel this type of this news paper useless and working for Mosad (Israil) or (CIA).
To Jose – yr comments 46 and 47
My apologies! At first I didn’t understand your intentions – now I got the picture. In order not to become too serious on some issues Bikya Masr hired you to put in every now and then one of your “jewels”. They really make me laugh out whole-heartedly.
I must make you a compliment – the way you are so hardpressed to “miss-spell” the most simplest of words … you do have a good phantasy! It’s an art. Chapeau and Bravo – I have to give you that!
Can’t wait to read your next posting.
[...] in a new piece by the Bikya Masr, it’s revealed that Salma told a symposium in Cairo recently that she was sexually harassed [...]
Man, I could hardly read the first few posts!
get over it guys, she could be lying about the harrassment story!! like how she lied about her age! She’s 40+ and not 35++++
around 43 or so … she aint that old anyways.
Or it could have been less dramatic from what’s said. I agree with eleonora!
I haven’t read almost all ! apart of the first 3 or 4 … yet came across women empowerment! isn’t! you serious? empowering women in egypt more ? gals turned into guys more or less, what more do you wish to see? women with moustaches!
to spot a lady is a rare thing nowadays! most just wanna fight like mini bus drivers or talk the street way! Common …
anyways… I’ll try to read the rest of the articles.
Truth is Egypt does have a HUGE sexual harassment problem. We also do have a HUGE pollution issue. Who the heck is Salma Hayek to patronize us about it though? Since when was she the public figure who cared about the good of the world, and why are we giving her comments so much importance?! Last I heard, she was just a Hollywood actor.
“Egypt is so polluted and the rate of air pollution is very high and terrible….you should really pay more attention to your country” – Salma Hayek
That was the statement that got to me. Seriously?! I’ll take it from political and social leaders (and I’ll agree!) – but not from her.
[...] as an honored guest at the Cairo International Film Festival, Salma Hayek described how she was sexually harassed in Egypt when she was 17: Hayek said she went on a touristic tour of Cairo, visited the Pyramids since her [...]