Egypt

Lily of the Nile: A Novel of Cleopatra's Daughter

mandy — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 20:00:00 +0000

Lily of the Nile is a treat for lovers of colorful historical fiction. An intriguing reconstruction of the ancient cult of the goddess Isis, the book is set in the last years of the first century B.C. in Alexandria and imperial Rome. The novel is told from the viewpoint of Cleopatra Selene, one of the children of Mark Antony and the most famous Cleopatra of all, the celebrated Queen of Egypt. Princess Selene is only ten years old when her parents commit suicide rather than fall into the hands of a victorious Octavian. Taken captive by the Romans, Selene must use all her intelligence and diplomatic skills to survive.

Stephanie Dray, a Smith College graduate and a specialist in Middle Eastern studies, evokes very well the smells, sounds, sights, and feelings of the classical world. Though she bases much of her writing on documentary evidence, she does not try to be impartial: a prefatory note to the reader announces that she has “unabashedly adopted the slant most favorable to Egypt, Selene, her family, or to the Isiac faith.” The view of Rome and Romans is thus largely unflattering.

Upon meeting the Emperor Octavian for the first time, the heroine is impressed by the “wintry ruthlessness” of his gaze. Growing up part hostage, part political pawn in the imperial household, Selene's life allows Dray to contrast Roman and Egyptian ideals of proper gender roles for women and to “explore ancient sexual morality.” The presence of temples to Isis in Rome itself is key to the story, for Selene is regarded by her co-religionists as a new incarnation of Isis, and thus possesses an influence that Octavian wishes to use for his own purposes.

The culture wars between Roman and Egyptian values are set in the frame of the prophetic expectations that preceded the birth of Jesus and the beginnings of Christianity. In the author's note at the end of the book, Dray advances the thesis that the religion of Isis influenced early Christians and prepared the way for present-day spirituality.

Selene's successful pursuit of political power and religious freedom is meant to inspire the young women of today to pursue their own dreams. The book includes a six-page Readers Guide that poses discussion questions on the story, the history, and the cultural implications of the novel. Lily of the Nile would be a thought-provoking choice for a girls' book club or a women's studies class, and I encourage anyone with an interest in history or religion to pick this one up.

Written by: Kittye Delle Robbins-Herring, April 4th 2011

I Want to Get Married!: One Wannabe Bride's Misadventures with Handsome Houdinis, Technicolor Grooms, Morality Police, and Other Mr. Not-Quite-Rights

admin — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 08:00:00 +0000

By Nora Eltahawy, Ghada Abdel Aal

University of Texas Press, Dar El Shorouk

The first suitor was a friend of a friend's husband. Along with his family, he came to Ghada's house. He was a doctor, she was told. Excited at the idea of finally meeting a potential husband, she washed the carpets, mopped the floor, scrubbed the stairs, and cleaned all the windows.

She opened the door only to meet Mr. Not-Quite-Right, her technicolor suitor. His shirt was yellow, his pants were blue, and he was wearing purple socks with brown shoes—not to mention the green sweater. "Maybe he is fun and he likes colors", she told herself, in an attempt to convince herself to focus on his personality and brains. The official introduction happened when her father entered the room. "My name is Samy. I'm a physiotherapist," he said. She was impressed until he started rambling about his "imitation skills;" apparently, he could imitate every character in this world. He eventually stopped sharing his talent and asked if the television was working. He turned it on and proceeded to watch a football match. Ghada held in a laugh and tried to pretend that everything is normal, but when her mother criticized his favorite football team, hell broke loose and at the ancient age of twenty-eight, Ghada lost a potential husband. Not only that, she also lost her friend who was angry with her for not being compromising to a "perfect" groom.

I first came across I Want to Get Married! in 2009 and soon afterwards, the blog was turned into a book by a publishing house in Egypt. The blogger/writer is a young Egyptian woman who is a successful pharmacist, but in a country like Egypt, success is measured by your ability to attract a groom at a young age. "The clock starts ticking the day you graduate. Personally, I started feeling like a spinster after I turned twenty-three," Ghada wrote in the introduction to the book.

Currently, Ghada is thirty-two and is still unmarried. After she turned thirty, her family and friends narrowed down her husband wish-list to a man "with a heartbeat." After introducing her to numerous men, from the technicolor suitor to the paranoid policeman who was adamant to get her fingerprints for "research," they gave up on her.

In her book, she chronicles the at least thirty prospective grooms she was introduced to from the age of twenty-five. This is how it works: Someone nominates her to an eligible bachelor, and the bachelor brings his nuclear family to meet her and her family. If she feels something towards him, they start dating to get to know each other. Not only does Ghada hilariously document meeting the men; she also shares the struggles of young women in Egypt who face societal pressure to tie the knot.

Recent statistics state that there are at least nine million unmarried women in Egypt. Social scientists consider rising costs as the main reason to blame for the delayed age for marriage, and they even use the term "marriage crises" to describe the situation of late marriage in Egypt. Diane Singerman, a professor of Comparative Politics at American University, uses the term " wait-hood" to describe the marriage situation in Egypt. She states that women used to get married by seventeen or nineteen in the past and men were ready to get married around the same age or even at twenty-five. Currently, the average marriage age for men in Egypt is thirty-one. Singerman estimates the cost of marriage at eleven times the annual household expenditure per capita. As economic reasons make it hard for couples to marry, women take the brunt of this delay. Ghada is such an example, but she took advantage of the digital age and empowered herself by blogging about her situation. Not only has she established herself as a great social commentator, but she reached out to millions of unmarried women and helped them deal with the social stigma they face.

This Ramadan, after reading the book, I watched I Want to Get Married! as a TV series and today, I will also get the chance to read the book in English as well.

Written by: Reem Abbas Shawkat, October 14th 2010

Shamanic Egyptian Astrology: Your Planetary Relationship to the Gods

admin — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 08:00:00 +0000

By Linda Star Wolf, Ruby Falconer

Bear & Company

If you’re looking for an astrology book that tells you if this is your month to fall in love or what day to play the lotto, then you should skip this review and skim to the back pages of Cosmo. However, if you’re looking for a comprehensive guide on seeking aid from Egyptian gods, all while understanding how the elements of your sign can be used to make you a more spiritual being, then Shamanic Egyptian Astrology is a must-have for your personal library. As a Leo, are you like the jackal-headed god Anubis who’s greatly misunderstood by others, or does the Scorpio in you channel the cat goddess Bast, all thanks to your fiery temper? Rather than exploring the too common traits about the signs, the authors pair them with their Egyptian counterpart, showing us how our matched characteristics can be used to clarify our purpose in life.

While some horoscope books expect readers to browse countless pages about how they’re destined to be something they’re not, Shamanic Egyptian Astrology provides examples on how the formation of planets, coinciding with Egyptian mythology, points at one’s strengths and weaknesses. Wolf and Falconer studied President Barack Obama’s birth chart, revealing why he has the makings of a leader. “Anubis the Shaman King and Ptah both emanate strongly in Barack Obama’s birth chart,” they reveal. “Together, these two principles describe the road Barack walks in his lifetime, that of embracing his true divinity and stepping into his role as visionary co-creator with others who also embrace their divinity. Partnership with like-minded individuals who share his vision is necessary for the embodiment of his Soul Purpose.”

In other words, Obama can only flourish if he surrounds himself with others who’re also ready to express their ideas and take command when necessary. In the case of Ms. Magazine founder Gloria Steinem, Bast is found in her chart, which explains how this inspirational writer can be both the Playboy bunny and powerful advocate for women’s rights. Fortunately, the focus of Shamanic Egyptian Astrology isn’t on celebrities, but rather how we can rediscover ourselves.

The major perks of Shamanic Egyptian Astrology are the personalized rituals and quick invocations that Wolf and Falconer provide for each sign to channel with the appropriate gods and goddesses that can better guide us in our spiritual journey. “Saying the invocation or practicing the ritual, or both, for that neteru will activate something within you that needs to come forth,” they explain. No extravagant altars are necessary to meet Ma’at, The Spinx, or Ptah. The writers discuss how merely embracing the warmth of the sun, taking deep breaths, or lighting candles can help you communicate with the ancients.

The daily horoscope provided by Madame X in our newspaper has us thinking twice before we wear red on a Friday or call an angry beau to apologize on the first week of June, but they aren’t enough to show us a better understanding of our role in this universe. Shamanic Egyptian Astrology provides us the tools we need to befriend the gods and goddesses, ask for their aid, and discover how our traits can be used to better ourselves. Both a guide for the advanced student and beginner, Wolf and Falconer’s teachings are grossly underrated and deserve a standing ovation just for its intensive research alone. We can walk like an Egyptian rather than feeling very superstitious.

Written by: Stephanie Nolasco, July 17th 2010

Veiled Voices

admin — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 00:34:00 +0000

Directed by Brigid Maher

Typecast Releasing

When people think of Muslim leaders they rarely envision women; however, many women are have made their mark as religious leaders in Islam. Veiled Voices presents the lives of three such women, allowing them to tell their own stories filled with struggle, triumph, and irony.

The film centers on Ghina Hammoud from Lebanon, Huda Al-Habash from Syria, and Dr. Su’ad Saleh from Egypt. Each woman is making waves in her country as she carves out milestones in faith and society. These women are teachers who get their messages of Islam and women’s strength across through lectures, television appearances, one-on-one lessons, and living their lives as examples to others.

The film begins with the women telling about their past, how they become religious leaders, and what they believe makes them who they are. Next, we get to see them in action as they talk to students and speak on television. The film concludes by looking at the next generation, the daughters of the women.

The interviews with the women's daughters and husbands were important because it shows how equality within the home is very valuable. All of the women demand the men in their lives support their passion and refuse to settle for anything less. This is evident in Ghina’s standing up to family and societal pressure to divorce an abusive husband. The decision and its outcomes weren't easy, but it is apparent that this was the right decision for her.

The film shows how institutional sexism prevents speedy social evolution. One example in the film is when Sheikh Tantawi, Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, says it would be fine for a woman to be appointed as a mufti, a Muslim scholar trained to interpret Islamic law, so long as she is qualified through education and practice. However, it is revealed that when Dr. Su’as Saleh submitted an application, she only received one vote from an all-male panel. It is wonderful to celebrate these strong women making a difference in the Islamic world, but there is much progress to be made and it is important that the film highlighted the outright sexism these women face.

There wasn’t much discussion in the film about these women's thoughts on oppression and violence done to women in the name of Islam and based on misogynist interpretations of Sharia. Many people see this as a human rights abuse, and I would have liked to hear what these women think about these interpretations and the outcries to stop these violent acts. The personal stories of these Muslim women are inspiring, and their determination to be positive role models is clear. Veiled Voices is a good start to a conversation by and about women in Islam to change misconceptions held about the role of women in the religion.

Written by: Andrea Hance, April 3rd 2010

The Pistachio Seller

admin — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 17:01:00 +0000

By Reem Bassiouney, translated by Osman Nusairi

Syracuse University Press

“How does a woman fall in love?” The opening line of Reem Bassiouney’s The Pistachio Seller is dangerously full of clichéd melodrama and trite gender assumptions; however, Bassiouney avoids these pitfalls by presenting complicated characters who exhibit the complexity of religion, love, and belief.

Bassiouney explains the significance of the pistachio in an Author’s Note, which reveals the historical significance of the pistachio and ties the nut to a very real cultural context. Pistachios are the most expensive nuts in Egypt. Because they are usually exported from abroad, until the capitalist movement of the 1990s, the pistachio was banned. Setting the novel in contemporary Egypt, the pistachio represents indulgence, luxury, and the perceived weakness of the East for pleasures from the West. The Pistachio Seller opens with young Wafaa falling in love with her cousin, Ashraf. Educated in England, Ashraf feels a disdain for the poverty, tradition, and "backwardness" of Egypt, and offers pistachios to all as though he could offer a taste of a better life. Wafaa expresses her confusion of desire and pride: “Was is really vital for East Germany to taste bananas? Were bananas worth all this humiliation? So what if man has to live without bananas? We could live without pistachios and without bananas.”

A devout Muslim, Wafaa desires Ashraf, but hates herself for lusting. Her desire is driven by imagination, prejudice, and the unachievable. This is where the beauty of Bassiouney’s complex characters shines. No character is singularly blameless or nefarious. Do I love Wafaa for being honest and passionate, or hate her for being judgmental and dogmatic?

I’m conflicted about the novel’s conclusion and Wafaa’s character development. The Pistachio Seller takes an epistolary turn when Ashraf moves to the U.S. While Ashraf writes honest, often self-pitying letters, Wafaa’s love letters are erratic, revealing little of her life. While Wafaa’s rhetoric changes, it seems her impulses do not.

Bassiouney does not compromise the novel’s tone by romanticizing the U.S., or portraying it as a home for Ashraf in exile. As is true with many elements in The Pistachio Seller, the U.S. proves to be a conflicted indulgence, like pistachios, enticing one away from one's homeland and offering little in return but ephemeral pleasure. Wafaa says, “Luxury living was like a drug you could get addicted to: it would control the cells of your brain, and you could not will it away.”

The Pistachio Seller is Bassiouney’s fourth novel; however, the first three are not yet translated into English. I hope The Pistachio Seller holds the promise of more translated novels from Bassiouney in the future.

Written by: Claire Burrows, March 11th 2010

Cleopatra: A Biography

admin — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 17:01:00 +0000

By Duane W. Roller

Oxford University Press

Cleopatra is a cipher, an enigmatic and historically remote figure reimagined until she has become, for much of the world and for much of modern history, the apotheosis of desire, representative of the potency of feminine allure. As with the search for the historical Jesus, separating the real figure from the myth is complicated not only by our fascination with all the artistic interventions and the millennia of (mis)representation but also by the paucity of hard evidence. The slender record that remains is complicated by the bias of her contemporary observers (mostly suspicious and resentful Romans) and the tangle of political agendas that surrounded her reign.

Distinguishing reality from the myth is Duane Roller’s project in his new biography of Cleopatra. He marshals the modest amount of fairly reliable biographical information, supplemented by a helpful sketch of the political and social world of Ptolemaic Egypt in the first century BCE. But was Cleopatra, well, Cleopatra?

Sources disagree about her physical attractiveness, although it seems likely that she was relatively short. The book offers an array of physical images from statuary and contemporary coinage, but there is little commonality among the images, so her actual appearance remains mysterious. The record of her ascent to the throne and involvement in Roman politics would seem to confirm her reputation as ruthless and Machiavellian, although her supposed suicide by snakebite is almost certainly fictional, as Joyce Tyldesley, who covers much of the same ground in her new book Cleopatra: Last Queen of Egypt, has convincingly demonstrated.

Readers hoping to find some account of the controversy over Cleopatra’s racial identity, that has been such an exciting and often public part of contemporary academic discussion, will be disappointed. Further, Roller’s diction seems dated (“the marriage produced no issue” and his use of B.C., for example). What would solidly justify this project is a “new” Cleopatra, one firmly rooted in newly discovered or reinterpreted documentary evidence and grounded in the historical context in which she moved. The same constraint that excludes the mythic elements from this study also seems to prevent a newly and sharply imagined Cleopatra from emerging here.

The closest the author comes to a revisionary portrait is in his account of Cleopatra’s public oratory, and particularly in her apparent authorship of treatises on stunningly banal subjects such as treating dandruff or curing baldness. In 'The Cosmetics,' a collection of writing attributed to her, we see a leader not exclusively concerned with war and geopolitics, but also with the everyday welfare of her people.

Roller’s approach can tell us the types of boats that sailed on the Kydnos River and the apparel Egyptian queens would have worn. But it misses the spiritual force of that figure still resplendent and still threatening two millennia later.

Written by: Rick Taylor, March 4th 2010

Garbage Dreams: Raised in the Trash Trade

admin — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 09:00:00 +0000

Directed by Mai Iskander

Iskander Films

At seventy-nine minutes long, Garbage Dreams is New York-based producer, director, and cinematographer Mai Iskander’s directorial debut. Before viewing the film I had never heard of the Zaballeen nor did I know that Cairo, one of the world’s most historic cities, once at the very pinnacle of human history, has no municipal waste disposal system to handle the trash of its eighteen million residents. Garbage Dreams provides an important window into one of the world's invisible and endangered communities who slog, dangerously unprotected, through the detritus of the upper classes and barely earn a living wage.

The Zaballeen are a primarily "Coptic Christian community of impoverished peasants from rural Egypt” whose work is collecting the trash of Cairo residents. They earn a small amount for the collection service and also for recycling (a minimum of eighty percent of) what they collect. Garbage Dreams follows several members of the Zaballeen community, and we see them working, playing, hanging out at home, and organizing to save the vocation that has sustained them for generations. An influx of foreign companies is not only taking their customers but also attracting some of their labor force.

Among the individuals documented is seventeen-year-old Adham, who expresses an existential resignation mixed with practical and spiritual acceptance of his destiny. He says, “each one gets what is written,” and demonstrates pride in his community, but is not immune to being embarrassed by his social class, which he refers to as the “Nothing Class." We also see into the life of eighteen-year-old Nabil, who has been contentedly “working in trash” since the age of seven, and Community Social Worker Laila, who walks among the garbage villages administering tetanus shots and providing education about the very serious health risks involved in the Zaballeen profession. Laila also acts as counselor, community organizer, and activist, urging the Zaballeen to prevail over the foreign companies.

Osama is perhaps the most poignant person documented in Garbage Dreams. He is restless and seems to need much more out of life than his current circumstances allow. At just sixteen years old, Osama has worked more jobs than most middle-aged Americans. After years of “looking for the job that suits [him] best,” he finds his destiny in garbage.

Although their focus on recycling is not motivated by environmentalism, I noticed strong anti-waste principles driving the Zaballeen, perhaps mostly because they see the cash to be made in a jumble of discards. When visiting the UK and observing operations at an English sanitation company, Adham is appalled at the sheer wastefulness of not recycling even the smallest scraps possible; not only are outside companies taking their livelihood, they are spitting on their principles to boot.

Garbage Dreams has won a slew of film festival awards, including several Best Documentary, World Cinema Best Director, Best Editing, and Best Cinematography awards. I would add to that Most Excellent Soundtrack and recommend checking out the film’s website and clicking on "How to Help" for information on screenings, distribution, and how to help the Zaballeen.

Written by: Matsya Siosal, December 17th 2009

Cleopatra and Rome

admin — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 23:40:00 +0000

By Diana E. E. Kleiner

Belknap Press

If you have a hankering to return to Art of the Ancient World 101, Diana Kleiner’s Cleopatra and Rome should more than satisfy your urge to crack open a textbook. If you’re looking for a thrilling window into the life of a pair of the world’s most infamous lovers, this may not be your best bet.

Traveling throughout Egypt in June inspired me to dive into this book to refresh myself on the nation’s history. Filled with visions of sunset sailing in Luxor, I hoped Cleopatra and Rome would take me back to a sailboat where the love between Marc Antony and Cleopatra blossomed. Instead I trudged my way through Kleiner's strong introduction to Roman and Egyptian art.

Much of the historical background reads like a monotonous section of the Bible where you have at least two full pages dedicated to: blah beget bleh who beget blech and so on and so forth. Lacking completely in the romanticism, and even possible intrigue, involved in the intermingling of the Roman and Egyptian empires through her affairs with both Julius Caesar and Mark Antony, Cleopatra serves as a coincidental bridge between two cultures.

At first there is little artistic analysis; some is architectural, but even that is limited in comparison to the droning historical description. The photos have no cohesion with the written word—similar themes, but they feel disconnected because they’re not tied together on the page. About a hundred pages in, the reader starts to get more in-depth descriptions of the art and surface connections, but the author quickly settles into a much more balanced rhythm. The stronger integration in the later parts of the book really made all the difference for me. Though I understand the need to lay the historical foundation before diving into an integrated analysis, it felt too structured for my liking.

Perhaps it was simply because I was expecting fireworks and got sparklers instead, but the rich stories of Cleopatra and her empire failed to come across here. Expectations aside, the book sheds much light on the art of Egypt; it's just that some may prefer to read the Cliff’s Notes version.

Written by: Nicole Levitz, September 5th 2009

City of Victory

admin — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 00:42:00 +0000

By Anita Saran

Anita Saran’s short story, City of Victory, is one of the best crafted stories I’ve read in a long time. She has a knack of bringing the setting to the forefront without intrusion. To call this piece of work a short story is an understatement. I find it to be more of a novella.

The story is set in sixteenth century Vijayanagar, a city in South India known as Hampi today. Jehaan is a gypsy girl, who is forced to be one of the maids of honor to the queen. This gives her great privilege: jewels, fine clothes, and good food. But Jehann is not satisfied to be part of this glittering procession. She is an Egyptian and wants to return home to her father and estranged lover. She longs for the fresh air and earth, not a stone floor palace.

Meherbanu escapes a horrible life when she approaches the king and suggests that she care for his zenana (his group of concubines and the queen). He says that he will put her in charge because of her boldness. She becomes the mentor and mother to the women. But what happens to a group of women protected by one man, the king? The author handles this complexity with beauty.

City of Victory had its debut as a broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2004. So many of the images haunted me and remained in my mind long after I read the work. The photos that illustrate the book are as interesting as the characters. I’m delighted to say I found this ebook a wonderful experience.

Written by: Ann Hite, June 1st 2009

The Blue Manuscript

admin — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 00:29:00 +0000

By Sabiha Al Khemir

Verso

The Blue Manuscript, featuring an indigo cover laced with gold detail, aesthetically embodies its elusive subject, a legendary medieval copy of the Quran. Al Khemir's novel traces the archaeological expedition in search of the manuscript yearned for by collectors and scholars alike. Led by the enthusiastic Professor O'Brien, the eclectic group of researchers meets in Cairo as they prepare to embark upon a collector funded expedition in the remote village of Wadi Hassoun.

Donatella (an Italian archaeologist), Mark (an American project manager), Kodama San (Japanese site surveyor), Hans (the German conservator playfully nicknamed "Glasses" by a flirtatious Donatella), Alan (the professor's prized British student) and Mustapha (an Egyptian guide) compose the mosaic of expedition participants, which expands throughout the novel as more local figures (including the go-between Rayyed Ahmed and the young boy Mahmoud) become associated with the group. Zohra, the English-Tunisian interpreter, perhaps best echoes the life of the author as she occupies a privileged (albeit at times frustrated) narrative position within the novel.

Upon arriving in Cairo, each of the expedition's members experiences his or her own unique sense of foreignness. None of them, aside from the professor, are intimately familiar with the region yet all are crucial to the project's research, being at once at home and foreign within their new surroundings. Al Khemir delicately captures moments of meeting and simultaneous intimacy so common to the dynamic of international research projects: "Different people, of different races, cultures, and from different social backgrounds, thrown into a primal situation, the only link between them the buried past of a civilization alien to them."

Zohra's role, as interpreter is least related to the research at hand and for this, she feels an outsider among outsiders. She struggles with the notion of belonging in the face of cultural and linguistic hybridity; she describes herself as "being in-between," "Half-half. Rarely did people want to know about both halves, about her other half. The other half was always the other, depending on where she was." Zohra finds the role of intermediary dissatisfying and rejects her "in-betweenness." She longs for a voice of her own and dreams of writing a novel as she patiently waits for the words to emerge from the dictionary that she guards by her bedside.

Upon reading The Blue Manuscript, the reader departs on her own expedition where what is unknown overshadows what has already come to light. Al Khemir's writing is seductive; her mosaic cast of characters develops alongside the expedition itself. Descriptions are at first sparse, even frustrating to the reader, leaving her to excavate her own meaning and anticipate further discovery. Detailed physical descriptions of the characters, for example, are not revealed until well into the work, forcing the reader to partake in her own journey of discovery.

Interspersed within the tale of the expedition in the search of the Blue Manuscript are first-century fictional narratives depicting the writing of the document, creating a rich tapestry of voices that at once embrace and dissolve differences and contribute to a kaleidoscopic rendering of one of the most treasured documents in Islamic history.

Written by: Melissa McCarron, March 6th 2009

Gender and Class in the Egyptian Women’s Movement, 1925-1939: Changing Perspectives

admin — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 17:54:00 +0000

By Cathlyn Mariscotti

Syracuse University Press

Gender and Class reads like the last reference book in a lengthy series about the Egyptian women’s movement. I came to this review ready to learn something about a time in history that most people probably know very little about. I came away learning only a few ‘vocab’ words from the glossary.

Cathlyn Mariscotti’s book reads more like a thesis essay reflecting on a scholarly course the audience has taken rather than a text written for the general reader. Every fact Mariscotti references relies heavily on other texts to get her point across. The main comparison and crux of the book is that Western feminism is extremely bourgeois and did not entirely help lower class women in Egyptian, such as the peasant fellahin.

This seemed to be an interesting idea at first mention, but after reading on, the reader realizes Mariscotti has laid all of her cards down on the table too early in revealing her argument, and all within the first twenty pages. This made for rather tedious reading of the rest of the book.

The text is a general criticism of the feminist movement as a whole, including Global North countries, such as the United States, Mariscotti does not make learning about the Egyptian women’s plight with this issue easy or entertaining to read. I was so overwhelmed by snippets of facts and parentheses telling me which books I could find and read about these facts; sadly I absorbed next to nothing about this largely overlooked period of history. In the end, all I learned about the Egyptian women’s movement was that I need to seek out other books to do so.

Written by: Jen Klee, March 4th 2009

Egypt: We're Watching You

admin — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 18:06:00 +0000

Directed by Jehane Noujaim, Sherief Elkatsha

Cinema Guild

A window into a world unavailable to most, Egypt: We're Watching You, is as much a depiction of a nation in jeopardy as one of a people actively pursuing progressive change. Documenting the 2005 Egyptian Parliamentary elections, the viewer gets a glimpse of the torrid corruption through the eyes of the people and the activists of Shayfeen.com.

Shayfeen.com is dedicated to sharing the true story of what is happening in the streets of Egypt to the Egyptian people and the outside world. They use a variety of multimedia (including this very film). Its main vehicle though is its website, which is used to disseminate information and share video clips of everything from election proceedings to political demonstrations.

Started by three women with experience in journalism and marketing, Shayfeen.com was envisioned as an alternative media source. The videographers document hours of waiting at the polls during the three-phase electoral process. Individuals share their frustration and lack of faith in the process freely with the camera. They understand the elections are rigged, but refuse to lose faith in their country. Over and over again a prideful-yet-worn populous is shown. It's not a new system they want, just an honest, democratically chosen regime.

Beyond the powerful first person accounts of voters and demonstrators, there is this fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the activists' circle. One scene takes us to a meeting where people are discussing the decision for the group to continue, spurred by their lack of funds and potential need to shut their doors. The women, in turn, discuss their personal commitment not the organization, but to the cause—simply to build a better Egypt. There was no politicking or games, just people sharing their burdens and desires, or lack thereof. Such an honest picture of an activist, a caricature that rarely is seen to have multiple levels, was incredibly refreshing.

Running fifty-two minutes, it is a quick look at Egypt not seen on American television. Its honesty and tentative positivity is a sobering yet inspiring look at a nation in peril.

Written by: Nicole Levitz, February 26th 2009

Shamanic Mysteries of Egypt: Awakening the Healing Power of the Heart

admin — Sun, 15 Jul 2007 02:22:00 +0000

By Nicki Scully, Linda Star Wolf

Inner Traditions

Nicki Scully and Linda Star Wolf have written a fun and strange manual that teaches us how we can unlock the secrets of the New Age teachings with the help of the shamanic Egyptian mysteries.

In addition to an array of beautiful illustrations, the authors have effectively organized the book into three parts. The first two contain instructions on performing rites of passage and meditations with a little help from our friends, the always accessible primary divine entities of prehistoric Egypt. The third section focuses on the four elements: water, earth, fire and air. The best part is a super-cool glossary of the gods, each with whom I connected for drinks at various stages while reading. I must say that while I got on well with them all, my favorite has to be Sekhmet because she "helps us to shape-shift into our future selves." And after turning into a hot pink unicorn, who could ask for anything more?

As we read this book our consciousness and awareness grow more deeply, but perhaps never as deeply as the weirdness of the rituals. Although I admit that being placed in a sarcophagus to undergo an initiation sounds like tremendous fun, having to surrender my DNA to a god's or goddess's will is bit much. Don't get me wrong, I am sure this was perfectly fine in the good old days, but now who the hell knows where your genes might end up?

In essence, Shamanic Mysteries of Egypt: Awakening the Healing Power of the Heart is a nice read. And while some pages left me as bored as the Great Sphinx has been since the Bronze Age, it would be a good $16 mind trip into mystical Egypt for anyone who's ever pondered about Isis, Osiris and their many pals.

Written by: Laura Koffler, July 14th 2007

These Girls

admin — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 02:25:00 +0000

Directed by Tahani Rached

Women Make Movies

Documentarian Tahani Rached is allowed intimate access into the lives of a tight-knit group of teenage girls living on the streets of Cairo, Egypt. This motley band of girls includes Tata, the ringleader; Danya, the self-proclaimed “fireball"; Abeer; Ze’reda; Maryam and Big Sister Hind, who offers advice and a shoulder to lean on. Although these teens are “voluntarily” homeless, viewers soon learn that they have chosen what they consider to be the lesser of two evils: the streets versus their abusive homes. The film opens with Tata riding a horse down a street crowded with cars. Surely a testament to her rebellious nature, this scene introduces a montage of scenes in which Tata scraps with men on the street, listens intently to a friend, plays, laughs and takes comfort in the arms of a friend. Her fierce, leader of the pack nature can be felt in the first few minutes of the film.

With no narration, virtually no filmmaker interaction and no judgment, viewers get a straightforward look at the horrors faced daily by these girls. Abeer is pregnant, following a gang rape, and she is unmarried and unsure of the identity of her baby’s father. Her own father has threatened her life in response. Maryam tells the story of how she fled her orphanage and was almost immediately drugged and raped in a park. She cut her hair and attempts to pass as a boy for protection. It is a constant struggle for these girls to find a safe place to sleep where they will not be harassed, raped or kidnapped and “stored” in Wheeza’s shack, a place where women are held for days, weeks or longer to be raped and possibly “scarred.” Maryam explains that protecting oneself against having her face cut and scarred is imperative, as it is a sign of shame: “If they don’t mark your face, you’re a hero.” Days and nights often drag, and the film’s pace follows suit, giving the viewers the feel of the slow, lonely times on the street. Tata and her friends sniff glue, smoke pot and take pills, admittedly, to get high and pass the time.

While it would be easy to feel completely heartbroken for these girls, and outraged by their situation, neither the film nor its stars seek pity or sympathy. In fact, while viewers will most certainly feel sympathy for these teens, they will also feel inspired by their courage, their determination, their loyalty and the joy they find in each other.

Written by: Becky Ramsey, June 27th 2007