Sexual Harassment.. In Egypt?

Okay first of all, I am not surprised in any way that we have sexual harassment in Egypt, but I am in extreme disgust of the Egyptian people... my people.

This is not Egypt... at least not the Egypt I know and studied about. Sexual harassment (in Egyptian arabic, "mo'aksa") is forbidden in Islam, and is a taboo in the Egyptian culture. The man who harasses women is known to be a sissy. But it seems that the condition in Egypt has worsened very much that people no longer have ethics, nor follow their religion.

I am actually against the "I am this, because I'm poor... I do that, because I'm poor" idealogy. I am talking about those who blame "poverty" for the fact that he's unmannered, hot-tempered, greedy, impatient and dirty-mouthed/minded. I have noticed that as I described the (stereo-?) typical Egyptian, or most Egyptians, to be more specific, the (bad) traits have become more and more unrelated to poverty. Being unmannered and dirty-minded is not because you're poor. Egypt has had poor people all the time. In King Farouk's era, there were a lot of poor people, but they were not like this. Each and every Egyptian, whether rich or poor, was well-mannered and followed his religion.

So apparently, the problem we have in Egypt is not because of poor people being poor. It is because of almost everyone being unmannered. It is a problem... a serious problem. Based on surveys, 83% of veiled, Egyptian women reported that they have been harassed at least once in their lives. They are veiled, but still harassed. I have heard from many Egyptian youth that they harass women because they wear tight or seductive clothes. That's not even a reason to harass them. But here, the women are veiled, but are still harassed. It is more of a lack in manners than in wealth.

The reason why I'm writing about this is because of this article I ran through while surfing the web. It is about a tourist's experience in Egypt. She got into disgusting situations that really make you hate Egyptians.

One kiss on the mouth, and he'll give me the equivalent of a dollar. I am walking through a market in Cairo, Egypt, when I realize that sexual harassment has no limits here. - Quoted from the tourist

Kiss on the mouth? Seriously, this is getting ugly. Plus, he is going to pay 5 pounds. If he saves them rather than spend them on kissing tourists, he would've become wealthy. If he wants a kiss on the mouth, he should get married... Seriously! Read the article to see a more detailed description of the incidents. She suffered. If I were in her shoes, I'd hate Egypt and not want to visit the country again.

Another survey states that 98% of foreign women get sexually harassed on their tour in Egypt. This means less tourism in the country and eventually less foreign money going to the government. Now, can't you see that sexual harassment threatens tourism? These people are sick (not as in ill). They can pop up anywhere in Egypt and harass women just for the sake of it. They know they will be turned down, but they just do it. No wonder why they remain poor and God does not bless their money.

Just an advice to any potential tourists out there. If you ever come to Egypt, always stick with the guide on your tour. If you're female and without a guide in Egypt, your tour will turn into a nightmare. Egypt is a wonderful country, despite the criticisms. The criticisms are mostly true, but if you're joined with a guide, the tour will be great. Firstly, you'll get your time schedule organized so you'll be able to visit the best places in Egypt. Secondly, the guide will give you lots of information about the places and landmarks. Thirdly, the guide can tell you about prices and where to buy souvenirs. Last but not least, you will be protected from harassments!

Visit Egypt!