Feminism Questioned

The popular conception of Islamic society is that women are oppressed and subjugated by men.

I obviously held this misguided view. After all, I was a staunch feminist, and I would not stand for any men – Muslim, Christian, Daoist, what have you – who violates the rights of women.

But as I soon learned upon my arrival in Cairo, not everything is what it appears to the eye. Yes, all women are veiled, but that does not necessarily mean they are subjugated or oppressed by their religion or society.

It turns out that women are pampered and treated like princesses and queens here. From a purely monetary perspective, the bottom line is this: the guy pays for everything, and I mean, everything. From the engagement party to the apartment to the dinners to the taxi rides.

Yeah, life’s pretty good for girls here, if you’re viewing it purely from a material point of view. Therefore, I’m not claiming that women are immune to harassment. Hardly (see previous entry).

So where do women stand in Egypt? I have yet to figure all the contradictions out.