"Rio20" Egyptian Women… between the hammer of Religious extremism and the anvil of corruption

Egyptian Women… between the hammer of Religious extremism and the anvil of corruption

written by: Nagwa Nasr

Although we have made a revolution , by have I mean men and women, yet nothing has changed, you see women during the former regime was divided into two parts, the ignorant who lived under the heat of extreme poverty and those Constitute 60 % of the Egyptian society also 40% of them supports their households according to the survey of the Egyptian center of women rights, those women were hopeless ,with no laws to protect them even the national center of anti- violence against women was helpless , as the female in this low standard society were victims to abuse , incest, assault, after the revolution those women have transformed themselves from victims to violence to victims to religious extremism , thanks to Muslim brotherhood , and the Salafists who gave them a brain wash and manipulating them by telling them that they will help them and they will make them rich also they will marry their Spinster daughters, in one condition they have to vote for them in the elections, and that’s not everything they bribe them by giving them Ration commodities , so let me tell you about a recently personal experience with group of them when I was waiting in line to vote in first round of the presidential elections , one of them was wearing Burqa, she asked me are you Muslim sister I answered her yes, she said but you’re not wearing veil , I told her that I’m liberal , so she gave me a lecture on gaining the redemption by voting to the Muslim brotherhood candidate , because he represent god , I asked her to explain more, so she explained How is god protecting Muslim brotherhood, and everything they command has to be done without questions, so I asked her about her opinion of what the female member of the freedom and justice party the political wing of Muslim brotherhood demanded in parliament first the Abolition of the laws that punishes any pervert makes a Sexual harassment , claiming that women provoke them to do that, second she asked the parliament to allow the atrocity habit of Female Genital Mutilation, the woman quickly replied: the respectable MP is right in her demands , girls should be circumcised, and women should wear veil, that’s the commands of god, so I tried to explain to her that what she is saying is not in the Holy Koran, suddenly in the minute I've finished my sentence I found myself surrounded by three women were wearing veils screamed at me: How will you know that the sheikh told us the opposite of what you are saying , so I told them I've read several books in Interpretation of the Koran, then a bearded man came toward us and order them to walk away , I think to prevent them from understanding and learning the truth, that leads us to speak on the other segment of the society and these are the liberal educated women who formed the striking force in the Egyptian revolution , those women suffered deeply during the former regime , first in media they were not allowed to work in the national TV unless they where blonds- imagine that in Arab country where the majority are brown and brunettes- or related to high ranked police officer, second in versatile positions for example teaching, women can’t be promoted to became minster of education , and in printed journalism women are not allowed to became editor in chief in the national printed newspapers except in the entertainment magazines ,also they were prevented from joining the army and police force, public prosecution, yet after the revolution those type of women are threatened by the fanatics of turning them into a lifeless creatures by preventing them from work and taking a higher degrees .and let me here to quote what Mrs, Nehad Abulkomsan the CEO of the union of the Egyptian women said about the first round of the presidential elections that lead to run-off between the Muslim brotherhood candidate DR. Mohamed Morsi , and the Ex Pm of Mubarak Regime General Ahmed Shafeek , by saying: we can’t vote for neither of them the first one will eliminate and prevent us from our rights and turn us to Harem and maids while the second will turn us back to oppression and corruption and to re- produce the former regime.