CULTURE

The Last Egyptian Belly Dancer

Rich Saudis are transforming Cairo's entertainment scene.

By Rod Nordland | NEWSWEEK
From the magazine issue dated Jun 9, 2008

« Return to Article

Discuss

Member Comments

  • Posted By: hnahed @ 10/30/2008 11:54:33 PM

    I graduated from Cairo University in 1969 and there was only one girl wearing a scarf. How things have changed between then and now, and all of it is for the worst. Egypt used to be the envy of the Arab World, a beacon of culture and civilization. Thanks to the influence of the Saudis, Egypt has been set back more than a 100 years. Well, I guess, money talks

  • Posted By: NourAnas @ 06/09/2008 1:22:53 AM

    Question Marks
    It is all about free will. Why are so many people here so angry about Saudi moguls investing in Egypt in "Wahabi" style? Surely, they are not forcing people to go and enjoy their "dull lifeless" services or luring them with the lowest hotel rates in the world. The fact that they are making money from the Egyptian box office indicates that people like their stuff. We live in a free world where everyone is entitled to do what they want as long as they don't harm others.
    Isn't it a bit of a surprise that a ban on alcohols inside one's own hotel should receive such an outcry from many readers? If Saudi Arabia is denounced for suppressing freedom, why do we want to do the same on the other extreme? We are not here to discuss belly-dancing, gambling, prostitution, alcohols or any of the regular features of hotels worldwide, but for an alternative that doesn't offer such services to receive such criticism one is left with a few question marks.
    Mohamed Khalifa, Cairo

  • Posted By: Thinker1764 @ 06/08/2008 8:32:54 AM

    Very good analysis, although the Yacoubian Building movie was financed by Good News group which is an Egyptian group. I hope what the wonderful Dina is saying turns out to be true, and there are signs of it becoming true, but I would lay the blame on Saudis for the conversion that is happening in Egypt. In fact, there is large chunk of the Egyptian society who worked in Saudi and other Gulf countries in the 70's and 80's, and these are the ones who transformed the society when they returned with their newly adopted lifestyle to Egypt. I started at Cairo University first year in 1982, we didn't have a single girl in our class covering her hair! by the year I graduated in 1987, we had many of the moslem girls in my class covering their hair.

  • Posted By: mzakharia @ 06/06/2008 1:28:48 PM

    To the last comment by ahmedserag, I too am Egyptian,and commend you for this very well written and most accurate response. I could not have said it better myself. .It is truly a shame that a publication as reputable as Newsweek would not put more thought into an article such as this one. -Marwa S.

  • Posted By: ahmedserag @ 06/06/2008 3:46:50 AM

    I am an Egyptian and I can confidently say that this article is far from reality. The facts mentioned may indeed be true, however they certainly do not describe the bigger picture. At close to 80 million people, Egypt is among the largest countries in the world. Egyptian culture has always been a mosaic with a full blown spectrum of political and religeous directions. Focussing on conservative examples only as made here, blows the whole picture out of context. Newsweek needs to be more carefull as it paints this picture.

  • Posted By: Yosemite Gem @ 06/05/2008 11:20:14 AM

    When Egyptians have had enough they will Rebel and try to find FREEDOM. We are making Saudi's rich by being lazy, ride a bike,walk,walk,walk. Take down all the Egyptian travel posters.Too bad they flushed all the booze,what about the environmental concerns? Better break all the mirrors too, that way you will not look at a naked body after a bath. Saudi Arabia is where they take kidnapped young women to sell as Sex Slaves. Go get a fill up and send some more money to the Bosses in Saudi.

  • Posted By: Yosemite Gem @ 06/05/2008 11:13:38 AM

    I guess they better forget tourism with no cocktails.Poor ecology pouring all the booze down the drain. Complain to the Hyatt Corp. Hey what about mirrors? Better break all the mirrors asap so you do not see a naked body when you step out of the bath. Saudi Arabia isn't that where they take kidnapped young women for Sex Slaves?

  • Posted By: srj1 @ 06/03/2008 3:44:42 PM

    I wish America was more like what is going on in Saudi Arabia and Egypt. You don't have to sell sex, booze, and drugs to entertain. You can still have a good life following Christian values. We are losing fast our conservative values to the immoral practices of a few people in this country. God Bless America? America Bless God!

    • Posted By: cferns1530 @ 06/05/2008 3:20:22 AM

      i checked the dollar bill. It says 'In God we trust.'

  • Posted By: lailasaeed @ 06/04/2008 10:46:41 PM

    subhanAllah.. egypt becoming more conservative is considered a bad thing?? since when was being conservative a bad thing?? people such as liberalists, secularists, ones driven by western godless mentalities .. would love and want to see egypt go down the drain .. however, in this world where the majority of the people have wrong ideas because they forgot and reject the idea of their Creator .. see the Saudi's (the ones who try to change egypt to the better) as the 'bad' ones.
    "The believers, men and women are helpers/supporters of one another, they order good and forbid evil ..." surah at-tawbah (71-72).

    • Posted By: cferns1530 @ 06/05/2008 2:58:39 AM

      muslim countries, if by majority or due to the changing times want to manage their country in a conservative manner, is totally fine. however, ridiculing other cultures or systems to prove something from a religious viewpoint makes a person more narrow minded.
      (trust me i know where my saudi friends go on weekends.)

  • Posted By: MoKhan1986 @ 06/04/2008 3:52:06 PM

    Egypt is a muslim country and should retain and mantain its own cultural, moral and social ethics, with the help of the Saudi Muslims if necassary. This article is obviously in disagreement with Islamic ethics, but seems to take a more freindly approach to the idea of American-secular influence than Saudi-Islamic influence. This is typical of western propoganda.

  • Posted By: redleopard @ 06/03/2008 2:18:15 PM

    Hey "blackman poster"! Read some of curlyfries posts as an example of what I originally posted. So you say race has not been brought into this?
    You all need to go and enjoy life for a change. Perhaps a place where belly dancers are so you can watch, drink, and enjoy.

    • Posted By: CptTripps @ 06/04/2008 3:19:58 PM

      He was using his racist upbringing as an example of thinking for one's self, it was not a racial debate, discussion or slam. Nice try though.

    • Posted By: CptTripps @ 06/04/2008 3:13:30 PM

      He was using his racist upbringing as an example of thinking for one's self. It was not a racial argument. Nice try but you lose.

  • Posted By: Shamrocker @ 06/03/2008 1:07:33 PM

    Does one have to be a Muslim NOT to appreciate a half naked woman prancing around the room and having money stuffed into her bodice or rained upon her head by some horny old fart who likely has a wife and kids somewhere who haven't a clue what he's doing with his income? I'd not sit with my husband and children in a place that glorifies the nakedness of a woman and throwing money at her feet like some prized piece of meat for later entertainment. There is nothing beautiful in belly dancing. I've seen fully dressed women dancing in Egypt with dignity and grace...out with the sluts! Oh, I don't drink... stopped at 30 when it started cutting into the food supplies at home... enough said.

    • Posted By: AuroraBlue1217 @ 06/04/2008 12:10:11 PM

      "There is nothing beautiful in belly dancing." I am an American born woman who has been belly dancing at festivals for about 3 years now. You are confusing belly dancing with stripping. Actual, real belly dancing is very graceful and celebrates the human form - you learn to use muscles you didn't even know you had. I know some dancers do take it to the sleazy side, but please don't group all of us belly dancers in with them.

    • Posted By: shocked2see @ 06/03/2008 2:47:24 PM

      The difference is that you CHOSE not drink anymore, you weren't forced into it because alcohol wasn't allowed! Why can't Egyptians be given that choice as well in their own country?

      And belly dancing is not about nakedness or money, it's a cultural expression. What right does anyone have to take that away from a whole people?

    • Posted By: gloryny21 @ 06/03/2008 2:14:38 PM

      With all due respect, you shouldn't criticize something you don't know about. Belly dancing is a beautiful part of the culture of that country. You just don't know what it means to the egyptian people. It's not about sex, IT'S A TRADITION!!!

  • Posted By: agamil @ 06/03/2008 4:10:10 PM

    my only comment is my heart bleed for BFE, it used to be such a nice country, hoping one day egyptians will rise again and stop the arbpetomoney

    • Posted By: bluesouth73 @ 06/04/2008 10:08:49 AM

      it used to be a nice country yea back when they were building the pyramids

  • Posted By: selena087 @ 06/03/2008 3:07:27 PM

    angelheart...i couldnt agree w u more. isnt it sad that those who want to live decent lives are tagged as narrow-minded and anti-freedom? its like real freedom doesnt exist anymore...u have to succumb to these ppls sick standards or else...ur sick

    • Posted By: mfrizvi @ 06/03/2008 4:19:07 PM

      selena087 - That is one problem with Muslims. If a Jewish person writes a book, then he must be lying... is that what you're saying?? And by the way, Prophet Muhammad said "Man Kunto Maula, Fa Aliyun Maula," which means "Whomever I am the master, Ali is the Master." It is known in history that Abu Bakr and Omar could not run their so called office without consulting Ali. Abu Bakr and Omar could not tell anyone the words that Ali used "Ask me before I leave this world."

      If you say there was an election and that is why the first caliph is Abu Bakr, then were are the rules of the election that Prophet Muhammad gave. Please answer all of this for me.

      Otherwise, it is a known fact that Hazrat Fatima did not talk to Abu Bakr at the end of her life. Prophet Muhammad said "Whosoever hurts Fatima, hurts me" and "Whosoever angers Fatima angers me." I do not have to quote a Shia book to state these facts.. you can search your own books about this history. Also you want to know about who hated Prophet Muhammad, it is your people - Abu Sufyan, Muawiyah, Waleed - who had no choice but to convert to Islam for political reasons. Let me tell you one thing.. Muawiyah was the father of the killer of Imam Husayn.. Muawiyah was an enemy of Hazrat Ali... but you people call him "Hazrat Amir-e-Muawiyah".. why is that??

      Therefore, the reason Wahabis say to kill shias is that we will not follow the leaders of Wahabis.. Please comment :)

      • Posted By: selena087 @ 06/04/2008 7:25:41 AM

        dont know if u'll read this mfrizi but i am going to reply...i am deeply insulted by ur offending the Prophets beloved companions. why was it Abu Bakr that led the prayer during the prophets sickness and not Ali? look Ali is the prophets companions and relation and it is every muslims duty to love him, but not deify him. notice how i respect ALL the prophets companions while u diss abu bakr and ali. i think that in itself says alot.

  • Posted By: pudermcgavin @ 06/03/2008 5:05:28 PM

    All i can say is let them keep there oil money dont let them spread there overbearing and ridiculaus laws based in religion are the worst of the worst.. Moral is one thing segregation and restriction is just wrong its like there looking to start trouble.. If it were my choice id say everybody needs to get there heads out of the preverbial asses and think of all the bad crap religion has caused war death greed hate its all based in religion its not in our nature to hate and cause war but if u get brainwashed by religion eraly u learn to hate what your religion says you have to hate and so far i always thaught the christians were the worst but i see islam as way worse or at least the radicals, the christians used to cause all the blood shed and still do in some areas but the islamist radicals are a close second now. at least the christians try to cover up there hate by going to poor countries and giving them help all be it they brain wash the poor uneducated people into thinking there is a god (no i wont capitalize it it has to be a noun and since it dont exist it cant be) they dont know anybetter they have no outer world expirience to dictate otherwise. rant on this i did but it all come down to religion and from what ive read and seen in my life religion is the root of all evil, why u as becasue they have the most money and money = greed= power. Lets all think free and free ourselves of the burden of religion. Just remeber when u were a child and had and imagination and maybe an imaginary friend but as u got older u had to change his/her name ot GOD or else u be thought of as some sort of delusioal nut job but in reality you still are hope i angered a hell of a lot of people on this but its will make you think i hope and just remeber the good of religion does not make up for the evils they have portrayed for thousands of years

    • Posted By: tallguyy76 @ 06/03/2008 5:52:09 PM

      pudermcgavin I agree with what alot of what you say you can't place all the blame on religion. Some of the burden lies in just certain basic flaws in human nature. It is in our nature to fight and war. We've been doing it since prehistory for various reasons. Land, expansion, resources, access to new genetic material (women), we are a violent species. It's in the DNA. Religion doesn't make us hate but we use relgion as a means to justify our hate and cruelty towards others. Human being are cabeable of great nobility and great evil. I think some people just find it easier to blame some conflict between external forces then to face the duality of their own nature.

  • Posted By: EveryonesaysIhaveanAsianlastname @ 06/03/2008 12:42:46 PM

    Tuefel Islam is not evil dont forget almost all egyptians are muslim anyway! They just have to obey the Rules. Bravo To Saudi Arabia they are not scared to do the unheard of! They are trying to clean up TV so Kids can watch it! Maybe they should invest in the USA Finally some Moral Shoes And wonder why Teenage pregnancy rates are up!

    • Posted By: DevynB @ 06/03/2008 1:04:28 PM

      Teenage pregnancies are up because of a severe lack of sex education. This has been demonstrated in test after test. You can blame abstinence only education on that. It doesn't work primarily because whether through your god of choice or evolution, intercourse feels fantastic and teenagers like to do things that make them feel good.

      And kids are already able to watch TV. There are a lot of channels that show only kid friendly programs 24/7. Granted, this does require people to pay attention to what their kids watch.

      • Posted By: Dire @ 06/03/2008 5:28:03 PM

        Amen!! I was about to say the same thing!!

    • Posted By: Dire @ 06/03/2008 5:08:30 PM

      "Islam is not evil dont forget almost all egyptians are muslim anyway! " There's a difference between religion and culture, and what Saudis are doing is forcing their culture and interpretation of Islam on Egypt's culture and interpretation, through their money and investments. They're trying to Saudify Egypt, which in my opinion, is wrong. "Morals" are one thing - the organized, systematic agenda of distroying Egypt through its culture, is another. (It's one thing for someone INSIDE the culture to try to change it because aspects of the culture cause mental, physical and emotional abuse towards unprotected members, its another for an outside party to try to force a change.) Its a subtle thing, but then the beginning of the WORST despotic regrimes was a subtle thing too, including the rise (since it's already been mentioned here for reference) of Hitler. Its the little things that you give up that eventually mean the death of not only personal freedom, but artistic and cultural freedom as well. "Kids watching TV" shouldn't be a government choice anyhow - that's a PARENTAL responsibility and choice. Those who depend on the govt to take care of their children may see the govt taking their children away if they choose not to it themselves. Same thing with teenage pregnancy - and FYI - teenage pregnancy rates in the USA are up BECAUSE of so called "moral education" teaching abstinence only education, rather than SEXUAL education. And they really aren't that much higher than in the past. Sexual education helped to lower those rates in the first place.

      And no, Islam is not evil. But which Islam are you looking to? Like Christianity, it has many facets.

    • Posted By: shocked2see @ 06/03/2008 2:39:52 PM

      Please do not assume that almost all Egyptians are muslim. There is a great part of the Egyptian population that are Christian, Jewish, and Other. Besides, since when it is alright for a group of people to dictate to others how they should live?!? Correct me if I'm wrong, but that totalitarianism! So if that's the "Muslim" way, Egypt wants nothing to do with it. Egypt is a Republic!

      Also having grown up in Egypt, let me attest to the fact that never was there a problem with what children were watching. Egyptians have always done a great job of being able to balance the story being told with what was "appropriate" for the viewers. To this day, some Egyptian movies are considered "classics" because they were honest about the world in which they were created.

  • Posted By: tallguyy76 @ 06/03/2008 3:14:18 PM

    So you are willing to give up your freedoms as an American just so you don't have to be exposed to the likes of Paris Hilton? Here's a better idea. Turn off the TV and a read a book. You're throwing out the baby with the bathwater. That's the trade off of living in a "democratic" society. Other people have the to right to say things, do things, read things and act in ways we do not like. Our is not censor them but to live our lives how we see fit as long as it does not infringe on another's right to do the same. America's preoccupation with cartoon violence concerns me much more then Paris Hilton.

    • Posted By: SomeRegularGuy @ 06/03/2008 5:25:19 PM

      Another trade off of living in a "democratic" society. If I don't want to serve alcohol in my hotel or don't want any belly dancing in my business. I have the right to do so. If you want me to stop that then you are a hypocrite. It is because you want all the freedom to do what you want but don't want me to have my freedom.

  • Posted By: Paulasy @ 06/03/2008 5:05:57 PM

    You should see what they do behind closed doors!!! I could write a book!! They are the most preverted people I've ever known!! they think they can buy everybody with their money!

  • Posted By: SomeRegularGuy @ 06/03/2008 4:32:11 PM

    If I invest in something I want it my way. If I own a hotel, I should have a choice whether I want to serve alcohol or not. You can't go into McDonalds and demand that they serve you a beer (at least not in any Mcdonalds I saw here in US). Similarly an investor can have a choice what should be the content of the movie they are investing in. The directors and actors have the right not to take these projects. People still have right not to go to the hotel not serving alcohol. I think it is ok for these Saudi investors to have their way on their investments. They are investing in it and whether results are good or bad, its their choice and they are the ones facing the consequences. If Egyptians are so worried that there is no booze in their hotels, why don't they open their own hotel and supply booze or belly dancing or make their own movies. There is a great potential for profits as there would be few places that serve alcohol. I don't see here anybody "forcing" anybody to do aything. Its just that if anybody owns any business, then he have the right to say what could or could not be done there. People still have choice not to take money from these Saudi investors.So, where is the "totalitarism" or "forcing one's value on others" in this case.

    • Posted By: snewss @ 06/03/2008 4:40:57 PM

      That's easy in theory, if that's the case and any investor should have the right to say and dictate what is done with their investment, then why couldn't the Dubai Ports Authority take over the U.S. ports business. As you say, they're just investors and should do what they want, right? At some point the government or the populous should be able to intervene on premise of security or even culture as it is in this case.
      Egypt is a poor country which is why Saudis can get away with this. If they could, they'd come in and buy out every business in the U.S. and take over. But the U.S. and it's people wouldn't allow it. But I bet if you were poor and had to stand in bread lines, you'd probably agree to allow this to happen.

      • Posted By: SomeRegularGuy @ 06/03/2008 5:04:57 PM

        If you are telling me how to run my business, aren't you forcing your values on me? If Egyptians want Saudi riyals, they have to do what investors want to do else say goodbye to that money. As simple as that. You can't have it both ways. If Egyptians are afraid that their "culture" is being threatened then pass a law banning any foreign investment. Their are always changes in culture. Even Egyptian culture changed from the days of pharoh to arab culture nowadays. What's the big deal here. Egyptians are still free not to go to hotel or watch movies financed by Saudis. What is stopping them? Like other said this is one of the drawbacks of living in a free society. Everybody have the right to do what they want. Then why do you shout and cry "totalitarism" or "forcing their values" when a businessman does as he pleases with his business. No law is broken here and I don't see any security threat. So I don't see what is wrong here.

  • Posted By: paulte @ 06/03/2008 5:03:04 PM

    There ought to be at least one country in the Middle East where people can let their hair down and boogey! Concern for public morals is one thing but these folks go too far. Although we could use a little more decency over here. The rich Saudis are phonies anyway because they have private parties in their own country with alcohol and women in stylish western dress which allow dancing and fraternizing between the genders! Shocking!

Reply

Report Abuse

Enter comments if any for reporting abuse