Bravo, Mona!

Another great post, thank you!! As a friend of several Sudanese in Amman, it is their story also.

Great Post.

We are all racist, trained by our surroundings to be racist against anything foreign.

We do it out of ignorance or fear, we simply don’t know any better.

Those of us who are brave enough to seek knowledge and think outside the box can see beyond their skin color.

It is like in-house dust, you work hard on cleaning it, covering it, getting rid of it but sooner or later you are going to miss a spot.

Peace,

Khaled

Mona, you seem to have a strong desire for social justice. I wish more in the news media felt the same way. As for Muslims, I thought social justice is a Muslim’s highest duty to all.

I agree. Growing up in the states, it didn’t make any sense to me when my father was racist. I’m thinking, Man, WE’RE a minority!

Not only Egyptians, all arabs are racist.
Except you, Mona, and other very few of blessed Arabs.
Arabs think they are obliged to abuse their maids only because the non-Arab poor maids are someTHING of lower caste as their old torn dirty thobes/abayas. Even being animals are luckier.

EVERYBODY is a racist, or a tribalist if you prefer. The trick is treating people as individuals even when your very nature, and frequently past personal experience, tells you that the individual in front of you is the very embodiment of every stereotype you have ever heard. Education helps, but only a fool thinks they can educate away thousands of years of human behavior that may well be hard-wired into all of us.

Our American foolishness of legislating unenforceable anti-discrimination laws which by their very nature perpetuate the basis of the problem is not the answer either.

Blacks in America made more progress before the LBJ feelgood legislation was passed. Since then, if anything, they have declined. This is because their morality has been taken from them by the very people who allegedly sought to help them. When morals are lacking, you are left with a very dangerous super-intelligent animal.

Civilization is but a very thin veneer over the top of the State of Nature. God help us all if/when it breaks!

I agree with you. Now, what can we do about it?
I wish there were campaigns and programs targeting youth in Arab countries to open their eyes about racism.

The one thing I noticed when I first started reading Arab (and Iranian) blogs several years ago, is that Arabs and Iranians don’t seem to be at all embarrassed about being racist. I guess it was probably like that in the US a long time ago too, but it hasn’t been during my lifetime. We have plenty of racists, but they generally try to hide it.

Dale, i agree with you about treating people as individuals when you meet somebody from a different “group”. We all stereotype people internally when we meet somebody different, but if you can get past that it’s not hard to start thinking of somebody who is very different from you as being just the same. Most of us have a lot more in common than we realize, all we have to do is look for it

Thank you Mona. I had a similar experience that involved my own relatives on my father’s (Christian Orthodox) who were racist towards others but only willing to express their racism among “family” or people of their religious persuasion. It angered and saddened me and I have a cousin we do not talk now because he knows I disapprove of his racism. We should all speak out. Thank you for speaking out.

Well done Mona, your actions are praiseworthy and I hope others on that train will learn from your example.

It is true we as Arabs are unashamed of our racism. But let’s not forget every country suffers from the scourge of racism, with some countries still enshrining it in law to some extent. I think it’s fair to say the great european empires were some of the racist civilizations the world has ever seen – and it’s a legacy they’re still trying to shake off.

I live most of my year in London and I’m proud to say it’s the most tolerant place I’ve ever been. True, the Arab world suffers from racism, but don’t close your eyes to what is still a global problem Mona.

Great post Ms Eltahawy. Thank you for posting this

Thank you Mona:)

http://globalvoicesonline.org/2008/12/05/egypt-dirty-sexy-secrets/

Kudos Mona for confronting that woman and her despicable behavior.

Bravo Mona. What an excellent column.

Hey Mona, I linked and quoted this one on my blog and got an interesting comment I am working on a response to. Could you take a couple minutes to add your “I am not in the pocket of the neo-cons” response? I know you are busy, and I am sure you are a little tired of saying it again, but I’d like the her to hear it from you rather than mess-up or misinterpret you. Thx.

Mona, you’re amazing. Eve Trout-Powell, an mixed-race American scholar a similar experience in Egypt. She rode in a cab with a Southern Sudanese woman and the cab driver assumed she was Egyptian and said, “Why are you riding with this slave (‘abd)?” What is ironic is that Trout-Powell who can pass for Egyptian is a descendent of slaves, but the Southern Sudanese woman comes from a lineage that has always been free.

I lived in Egypt for seven months and experienced some more subtle forms of racism because most Egyptians thought I was northern Sudanese or possible Nubian or from Aswan. But still, sometimes going to restaurants or resorts, I’d get stopped and questioned if I belonged. But I have often heard these stories. The important thing is that people begin to stand up.

My friend noticed a similar instance, but with two young Egyptian Muslim girls harassing an Egyptian Christian lady. They disrespected her on the metro over a seat and started pushing her. After a brief shoving match, some Egyptian ladies started yelling at the girls because they didn’t respect their elders. I saw the incidence as a form of religious discrimination. They felt like they could disrespect the woman because she didn’t have hijab on and that they were better than her because they did. It is so frustrating and so sad.

Thank you all for your comments!

I really want to tie that racism into the way South Asian labourers are treated in the Gulf. It’s basically modern-day slavery as many if you who’ve experienced the Gulf know.

Kinzi – thanks for linking to me on your blog. You answered that person well and I have nothing to add. I wrote this piece for an Egyptian and a Qatari paper and I will not get into an arm wrestling match over who’s more Arab.

Your interlocuter who sees neocons everywhere will have a hard time with Obama in office – with neocons totally discredited who will she blame then?

Thanks Mona. I’ll paste this in, if you don’t mind. Sigh, how DO you handle it?

Kinzi hello!

It’s VERY important to me that you make it clear I didn’t want to add anything to what you wrote. I will not grace her denial and defamation with a response.

It’s too easy to brush me off by calling me a “neo-con” just because I criticise something she denies.

An Egyptian man wrote to tell me I should leave “his” Egypt alone and stop writing things for “dirty American money” even though I made it clear this was written for Arabic papers.

That’s what those in denial do – they accuse you of being “neocon”, “Zionist”, whatever they think will shut you up.

Some of us refuse to shut up.

I am working in Saudi Arabia for 8 years now and believe me the most racists people I have ever met are the Egptians. The Saudis pale in comparison.

Here, most of us Asians will call them as the “Children of Pharaon”. You can never beat them in any argument because they feel they are always right.

I find it insulting to be degraded and made to look like a fool because of my eye size or skin color. As a doctor, there were many times that Egyptian doctors, nurses and technicians refused to follow my medical recommendations even though I am the best eye surgeon in the hospital I worked with just because they feel they are intellectually superior than me.

I left the hospital in disgust and now happy with my new workplace and new colleagues who are mostly Westerners and the sad thing is mostly non- Muslims.

I can never expect that I would experience racism from the hands of my Muslim brethrens.

Salaams Mona,

This was an awesome post. Racism in the Arab world does seem to be a slippery slope and something that some (Arabs) don’t want to accept.

I’ve had similar experiences in Morocco sadly enough. But it feels good to know that there are people out there who realize the problem and speak out against it. The group mentality of mass silence is horrible not just in dealing with race,

A friend of mine (in Morocco) saw a female ticket seller get beaten on the bus for asking a man to pay his fare. No one helped it her. If we all spoke up a little more and actively sought to change people’s perspectives, things would get better.

“The bottom of hell is held in reserve for those who take a neutral stance when values are at risk” — Dante

“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” — Edmund Burke

“The world is not dangerous because of those who do harm but because of those who look at it without doing anything” — Albert Einstein

“We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the hateful words and actions of the bad people but for the appalling silence of the good people.” — Martin Luther King

Kudos Mona, you are the type of Muslims iam always looking for but i never find, now i can tell i found ‘em

While I have not seen the kind of open harassment you describe, I do agree that Egyptians are not particularly keen on black people. Which is all the more awful when you think that a sizable minority of Egyptians – Nubians – are black, and consistently feel extremely discriminated against.

We actually like to forget that we are African ourselves. Not only an abomination, but a grave error of geopolitical judgment, since we’re rapidly losing our African standing.

Reminds me of this instance in the early nineties of an Egyptian minister who gave a press conference in Nairobi, where he declared that he was “very glad to be in Africa”;
a journalist raised his hand and asked,“but excuse me, where did you come from then?”

Thank you so much, I will share this with my husband who still insists Arabs are not racist, though I experienced it on all levels when we were living in Jordan. He is still in denial.

This is so sad. Especially when there is no caste, creed or race in Islam and all are equal.

Muslims of South Asian orgin too experience a sort of racism in the Arab world generally when they visit as Pilgrims but then though hurt they attribute this to ignorance (jahaliyat) and wonder if the culprits do know what Islam is. The respective governments are obviously aware of this un-Islamic treatment as it often starts at the airports upon arrival at the hands of some elements of the officials too.

I am really shocked at such behaviour!! Its ridiculous beyond belief, I have only seen people taunt animals like that! I especially agreed with your statement:

“I told her that the way she was treating the Sudanese girl made the scarf on her head meaningless.”

and wondered at the relevance of her mothers retort “Her mother asked me why I didn’t cover my hair”… excuse me? suddenly covering a few hair follicles is more important to God that treating others well?

Thank you for an excellent post, Mona. This is the first post I read of your blog, and I feel encouraged to read more. I especially liked the balanced tone, your use of facts, as well as your active engagement in one of the stories. Well done. I will be bringing this up with people I know.

I would say Egyptians (I am one) _may_ differentiate between themselves and others in an unpleasant manner. Not all, and not at all times. The discrimination is not only a black/white thing; you find Palestinians, Saudis, etc, also being discriminated against. Whereas many Egyptians will treat “white” people favourably, they do not hesitate to distinguish between “them” and “us”. This positive discrimination can be offensive to those white people.

I was once walking down the road with my ex-fiance (who was white) in Cairo, and two girls of about 10 started bad-mouthing my companion (in Arabic). They were saying things like: “yeah so what, you have blue eyes”, or “what, are you too good to cover up?”, etc. Essentially pointing out differences in a negative way.

Kids reflect their upbringing. What did their mothers tell them?

But there is something very important here: Egyptians do not treat each other well. They are constantly judging and discriminating against each other. The way you dress, the way you talk, what you drive, who you know, … these are all direct factors in how easily you live your life in Egypt.

My sister (who wears higab) was once standing in line at a nice bakery in Medinet Nasr, only to notice that an un-higabed Egyptian woman looking rather elegant got preferential treatment by the attendants. What annoyed my sister was the attendants did not even respond to her queries. They served the supposedly-elegant woman, got her out of the way, and then served “the rest of them”.

We have to fix this internal disrespect _as well as_ the external disrespect; they are two sides of the same coin.

I just read your article in the IHT. I googled you and ended up here. Your article was the most powerful thing I have read in a long time. I am African-American and my fiance is Egyptian. I believe I noticed an incident similar to the one you described involving a Sudanese refugee in Cairo. I was not quite sure if I was seeing what my eyes were seeing,but I now know that I was. I am glad you used your platform to highlight this problem.

God bless you.

I just remembered something.

Actually, two words: Anwar al-Sadat.

Hello,

Mona I just found your blog after reading a post by Irshad Manji’s blog where she mentioned a quote from you. I’ve read this and other articles by you and really like what you have to say and the way you present your argument. Kudos! I’m Afro-American and it always bothers me to hear things like this. Funny thing is, I know a lot of black folks, here in the states, who empathize with and support Arabs and Muslims as an oppressed, discriminated and misunderstood group, especially in the west. It is as if we have SOMETHING IN COMMON. Nice to see, hear the favor is being returned. When I hear/see things like this it really makes me lose my faith in the kindness and true core of human kind. But, lo and behold a beacon of light such as yourself gives me hope that there are still some, though not enough, GOOD people in this world. I mean really good people, not just folks who think they are decent because follow their own made up rules and regulations.

I’d also like to thank you for standing up and defending one of my own. That was very selfless of you and too kind hearted in this cruel world. I often hear Muslims say “Islam means peace” but when one chooses to be evil towards their fellow human brother or sister that does not translate to peace and as a result I think I can say as an outsider does not represent true Islam. If Islam does mean peace you my dear are the true Muslim with or without the scarf because you did what God commanded, you showed love to a fellow human being by standing up for her and standing by her. You have set an example for a young woman like me that sometimes it is my responsibility to come to the aid of others and not just mind my business.

God bless and I look forward to reading more of your wonderful articles.

Ahmed,

I don’t understand why you are mentioning late president Sadat. Care to elaborate? What’s the deal bro?

Thank you all for your kind words and generous feedback.

I am humbled by the stories you’ve all shared. I think this article and the one I wrote on sexual harassment have generated the most feedback I’ve ever received – through my blog, Facebook and emails sent to me.

That convinces me even more that the personal really is political and that telling our stories is the most effective way to move others.

Thank you all!

Comments like this will help us open our eyes and ACT rather than withdraw in shock or denial. We’re all in this together and permitting the abuse of another for whatever reason makes us a partner in the violence. Who can say when that violence will be turned against us? As caring compassionate people we must make ourselves seen and heard…unless of ourse, we just don’t care. Thanks for your opinion which I first read in the International Herald Tribune. Please, continue to make yourself heard wherever and however you can….others will be there to support you. Lawrence Langner, Paris

D.T. Gamble and everyone,

Anwar Sadat’s mother was Sudanese (daughter, herself, of a man from Central African Republic). Sadat was, as you may be aware, quite dark.

The argument that Egyptians are racist falls apart when you ponder that he was president of Egypt for more than a decade. I do not know of any examples where people grumbled about his skin colour or strong African connection. I never heard that people were saying “how come this dark man is president?”

As some commenters have pointed out, it is important to realise that many Egyptians are black. Many famous footballers in Egypt are dark enough to be perceived as “black” by outsiders. A personal friend of mine of Nubian background holds a prestigious academic position in Cairo. When he lived in London, he was often thought of as “black”.

So, let’s not blow this out of proportion.

Egyptians need to work on respecting each other – everything else will fall into place.

Dear Mona,

Great post. I have never been to Eqypt but my southern Sudanese friends who lived in ‘Masr Oum al dunia’(Egypt the mother of the world) tell me horrible stories of the racism they experienced in Eqypt. They are called ‘bonga bonga’(darkies)etc. I once had an uncle who studied in Eqypt in the early ’80s and he told the same thing.

Today I live in the West, but I can tell you that as a black person, I still get horrible treatment whenever the person delivering the service happens to come from the Middle East. Recently at a Shawarma shop, I had to tell the Egyptian and Lebanese clerks to not skip me because an Arab woman they knew had just entered the shop and got preferential treatment.
I talked loudly and embarassed them profoundly. Below is a post from a Sudanese Internet forum about how Eqyptians treat Southern Sudanese. There are errors in it but I am sure you will get the gist of it.

Dear Comrades,

I came back on Nov. 24TH from Egypt after one month long with a lot of disappointments. Let me start with the way Egyptians treated us. Egyptians are the most disrespectful people to the Southern Sudanese in the world. They called us “Samara” black skin color or Negro, school children throws stones on us twice while we were walking to Metro station, and when I got mad, the guys who were me , persuaded me not to react, it will breaded more trouble, and mob will tremble us on their feet.

I went to Metro station and complaint to one of the official, asking him, is that the way you people treat foreigners in your country? He pleaded with me saying that, “I apologize for the act, these are kids,” I told him that kids learned from adults. He then apologized again. The incident repeated itself at night, and I went to police and told them about it, they said, “these are crazy people, if you see them again tell us.”

Leave that there, I became sick and I went to the clinic for treatment in the evening, I was the first to get a receipt, and turned in it to the nurse, and later other patients came and turned in there receipts, instead to take me according “to come first, first serve” I was left behind, after I got tired of this, I asked the nurse why did you left me behind, and I was the one who was here first? She then told me, “you are next!” I was then taken in and treated.

I thought it was that clinic alone, we went to my mother medical check-up appointment at Anglo-Americans Hospital, which was at 10:00 a.m. the door opened at 9:50 .a. we turned in her Passport and appointment slip, and sat down, the process started at 10:00 a.m., instead of being called first, they started with Egyptians who their appointments are behind our scheduled time, and who also came in after we turned in our documents.

My mother was not happy about what was happening, but I told here to be patient. After four hours of ordeal, they started with us. I went back after three days to pick up the result, they ignored me like I was not existing, after I gave them Mom Passport, I waited for them for hour, and asked why not giving me the result on time, they told me to wait! Why wait? I don’t know? They got tired of watching me, and they finally gave me the result.

After I secured the result, I asked, why you Egyptians mistreated people like that? “They asked like what?” I explained they way they put those who their appointment behind us ahead of us, this is not just only here in this clinic, and I told them about my experiences in other clinics and offices. They denied the whole thing, even the way they treated us in their office.

For part two, I plan on writing about football players – in Egypt and abroad – and the anti-racism campaign launched in Europe.

So Ahmed, I’m glad you mentioned the Nubian football players as they will be a part of my next article on racism in Egypt.

Ahmed,

Thanks for answering my query. I’m very familiar with President Sadat, though I believed that he referred to himself as an Arab, not black or even half black. I respected his choice to only identify as Arab as I believe a person’s identity is theirs to determine, not mine or anyone else’s. The first time I saw him I thought he was black, he’s darker than me and I AM black, (ha). But hey, what are you gonna do.

My own mother is mixed race, white and black and she never referred to herself as Afro-American. She always said, “I’m biracial”, and technically, she was correct to identify that way.

Mona (hope you don’t mind me calling you by your first name),
I’m really looking forward to you continuing with this subject. I find your posts to be quite insightful and informative. You know, I never would have known any of this without your blog. I had no idea Arabs felt that strongly about us, black folks. When I was in college I met quite a few Arabs and Muslims who treated me almost like I was one of their own, they were so nice and kind to me. Silly me for thinking that was the culture. Oh, well. I guess it takes folks mustering up the courage to just open themselves up and make the effort to change things for the better. Believe it or not, well all need each other and can benefit from one another. I respect culture and racial differences as so many different races and cultures are represented in my family and in my own racial make up but we all still need each other.

Mona I think folks like yourself are just the right ones to initiate that change for the better. I’ll follow your lead:)

p.s.
sorry I write too much, had a lot to say. Hope you all like reading my thoughts though, I like reading all of yours

D.T.

Yes do please call me by my first name and do please continue to share your thoughts with us.

I am sure your Arab and Muslim college friends were sincere in their friendship and kindness. I hope our discussion about racism in the Arab world doesn’t make you doubt your interactions with them.

Self-criticism is always hard but I hope in taking an inward look, I can contribute somewhat to a larger debate.

Hey Bamburi,

Just read your post. I’m sorry you had such a bad experience. After reading your story I can understand why you would be mad. Me, well reading the things you and others wrote actually makes me kind of sad. I did not know folks really felt that way about us, in AFRICA of all places. Racism against blacks in Africa, sounds like an oxymoron to me. What do y’all think?

Oh well. Like I said above I’ve met many Muslims, Arabs, Egyptians, other Middle Eastern ethnicities and they were so nice to me. These were folks that were born in their country of origin, not Americanized folks. I guess that may have been due to the fact that over here, in the states, they are just as much of a minority as I am. Hell, they get watched like I get watched. They are profiled like I’m profiled. They’re judged like I’m judged. Misery loves company I guess. That’s my two cents…

Bamburi and everyone,

Okay, let’s try to balance things a bit here. Many Egyptians are treated the way your friend complains of being treated (i.e., passed over, ignored, etc). If you’re wearing a 3emma (the traditional hat of fellaheen) in Cairo, you will automatically be assumed to be unimportant. If you’re a se3eedi (traditional southerner), they will tease and harass you mercilessly. (I once saw a se3eedi worker get into a fight with Cairene workers who were making fun of him – their boss quickly stopped the nonsense.)

Let’s not ignore history: the Sudanese are deeply intertwined with Egyptian history. This has both negative and positive elements. The positive side is that we get along very well (when we want to), the negative side is that we are competitive with each other. Egypt has repeatedly repelled attacks by its southern neighbour. One Pharaonic dynasty was in fact, a Nubian/Sudanese dynasty – some guy from present-day north Sudan invaded ancient Egypt and ruled it.

In the last 300 hundred years, Egypt dominated Sudan. Khedive Ismail ruled over all Sudan and small parts of Ethiopia. Thus, today the Sudanese are very sensitive about Egyptian “interference”.

These rivalries always play a role – even in the back of people’s minds.

Okay?

Now, let’s flip it another way. I grew up in Nigeria. Was this Egyptian kid picked on, bullied, smelt, pinched, envied, looked down on, etc? Oh, yes sir! As a kid, I was routinely given lectures about “Black Power”. I was picked on and shoved around regularly. Derogatory comments on my skin colour were made all the time.

Come on, guys, wake up. As Craig (above) has said, discriminating against “others” is human nature. Us and Them is hard-wired in the brain. Read Chapter Two of “Mistakes Were Made” – I review it at http://chaptets.blogspot.com/2008/10/mistakes-were-made-but-not-by-me_26.html

For me, it is really important to confront the “bad side” of this human nature of ours: make sure it is clarified as wrong and immoral. Mona did so, and she has all our commendations.

Britain has made great strides in the last 30 years in the direction of equality and elimination of racism. But just today, yes, _just a few hours ago_, I was reading about Sol Campbell (a black British football player who has played in three world cups for England) and the racist chants he got from some supporters of Tottenham FC. The same article went on to state that Egyptian player Mido has complained to the English FA about Islamophobic chants made against him by some Newcastle FC supporters.

Mona, I respect your sentiment, but tread carefully. This is a nuanced, universal topic. I would personally focus more on WHY Egyptians do not respect each other, why do they deal with each other as if some are “welad naas” and some are “welad kalb”? This is – to me – is the root of the problem. If we can get Egyptians to respect each other and treat each other equally, discrimination against foreigners would fall by the wayside.

PS. Gosh, I’ve written so much about this, I have enough material for a post on my blog!

Ahmed

Your comment is exactly the point I made in my article – that we are a minority somewhere or other and that we must defend and respect the rights of everyone so that ours are defended and respected.

Hey Ahmed (and the rest of y’all )

You make great points. In the last post that I directed to Bamburi towards the end I noted that the Muslim and Arab friends I made most likely experienced the same types of prejudices that I experience here. My mother and her family were a biracial family growing up in the south in the 1950s and 1960s here in the states. She and her siblings were picked on and horribly mistreated by whites AND blacks alike. So, I will agree with you that racism is a universal thing. I, and anyone else with some sense, would not deny that blacks in any country show severe racism as well.

I think that Mona, and Mona please feel free to correct me if I am wrong on this, judging by other articles of hers that I have read, is approaching this issue from the perspective of an Arab, Egyptian Muslim to the Arab, Egyptian Muslim. She, I believe, is looking at the problem within her community first. We can all work to end racism universally but that is a huge feat and sometimes it works best to tackle it piece by piece, meaning you break it down. You start with what YOU know first and work to change that. Think about it Ahmed, if we all make strides to better our communities from within, with the common goal for unity amongst races, creeds, colors, ethnicities, sexuality, you name it, we will reach that goal more effectively. I’m not one to look for quick results rather I prefer long lasting positive results.

Does it bother me to hear about this treatment towards blacks in Egypt, you’re darn tootin’. Just like it burns me up when my Muslim friends are referred to and treated as terrorists with that tired excuse of using 9/11 as justification for blatant racism. I like how Mona approaches this topic the way she does because she is doing what we all need to do, holding our own accountable first before we point fingers at others for their actions. You cannot complain about someone else’s junky backyard when yours needs cleaning.

Ahmed, I want you to know I understand where you are coming from as an Egyptian. I feel like I can tell, from your posts alone that YOU are not a racist. No one likes to be blamed for someone else’s mistakes and short comings. The great thing about what Mona has done with this article is opened a dialogue between us to discuss this in depth. Think about it, an Egyptian and a black speaking about the racism we have experienced. It’s out there on the table now.

How can you and I use this to better ourselves and educate one another? How can we help one another heal? I will follow Mona’s example and start by saying I am deeply sorry on behalf of my people that you went through everything you went through in Nigeria. It was wrong, there is no justification for it and those who felt like they could judge you and display some sort of superior complex over you or any non-black were beyond out of line.

To further this, I will make sure to approach others as individuals, not as a race, religion, or by whatever geographical affiliation they have. Despite what I’ve read in this article and some of these posts I’m not going to ever let that prevent me from meeting and developing awesome friendships with some really kick butt people who just might happen to be Arab and just might happen to be Muslim. That right there is straight up crazy. So, Mona, no this won’t make me doubt any Arabs I meet or develop any negative pre-conceived notions and stereotypes about them. After all, I think you’re GREAT! This issue makes me little sad, not ignorant, please believe.

p.s.
I’m sorry again for the long, drawn out post you all. When I am intellectually stimulated I can go on and on and on and on and on…

DT,

Rock on, it’s all good.

Thanks raising this issue – this is one subject we all need to talk more about – it’s more Africa’s dirty little secret because by not talking about it we are all complicit in maintaining it somehow.

By the way I have tagged you on “why I blog about Africa”

100%

Dear Mona,

Thank you. I have been working with refugees for the past 12 years and it is awarness like this that we desperately need. Keep it up.

Dear Mona,

I’m a former Southern Sudanese refugee. I lived in Egypt for about 4 years before I moved to America in the fall of 2006. I remember, vividly, the inhuman and immoral way Egyptians treated us Southern Sudanese refugees on Cairo’s civilized streets–they pejoratively called us “samara” meaning “black” in Arabic, and harassed us whenever, wherever, and however they liked. I’m still bitter about Egypt. And I’m glad that there’s someone like you out there trying to open Egyptians’ eyes to their despicable racism.

I look forward to reading more of your articles.

Thank you very much.

Mona, your story touched me incredibly – I loved it for its truth and honesty as well as your truth and honesty. Having lived in Cairo for years and listened to “liberal” Egyptian friends talking about “training” their black maids (just one example) and how blacks are just “not like us,” and staring at me when I tell them that this is no way to talk about a fellow human being, it is a wonderful thing to read you write the truth so clearly. Bravo!

Dear Mona – your article was emailed to me by a British friend who teaches English in Cairo – it has special resonance because I spent three years in Sudan teaching English as a white British non-muslim and met only the most incredible kindness and hospitality – I also taught Eritrean and Ethiopian refugees in Khartoum and asked them how they found the Sudanese – their response – despite being refugees and not perceived as wealthy or of neccessarily high status was universally the same as mine – the the Sudanese were kind and hospitable. I had to flee the country when Saudi Arabia imposed a puppet Whahabi government after Jaffer Nemeiri fled to America – ironically it was this Arab muslim government that began the reign of terror which has reduced Darfur to a war zone – a part of the world I visited many times and fell in love with. It is too easy to blame everything on America – yes their foreign policy is often cynical and morally bankrupt – so is Britain’s – but I always remember shopping in the suk in central Khartoum where hundreds of cans of cooking oil were for sale on every stall and in every shop – all bearing the message – in English – “A gift from the people of America to the people of Sudan” – whoever was profiting from their sale it certainly wasn’t America.

Mona, racism is very powerful, and it hurts me and others soooo much, but do you know what hurts me even more; the SILENCE. The silence and indifference to hatred and abuse, like the women on the Cario metro “who didn’t do anything” or say anything, not even to agree with you, when you stood up. Individual and intstitutional racism has no place in our communities. Racism is a failure and we must work hard to remove it from our societies because it violates the innate dignity of the human person. It violates me and it violates YOU. I aswell say:

Khaalaaas with the Double Standards and Secrecy!!!

Dear Mona,
I fled from Sudan to Egypt and lived there as a refugee for almost 6 years and admit that this is truth and fact that you showed in your article which despite being sad I was glad to read it. Because the article in itself shows that there are some people able to identify the problem and challenge it. Witnessing many kinds of racist comments and behaviors, I have always thought that the element behind Egypt’s racism was ignorance about the blacks and their conditions, but I found that racism is actually greater than that. It’s a thought process that is merely and just merely interpreted by one’s actions. I found myself writing about my own experience in Egypt in my English class because of your article.

Looking forward to reading more of your writings

I have taken this post as an opportunity to reflect on the whole issue of racism. Please find my last post at http://ahmedschunks.blogspot.com/2009/01/part-2-of-my-response-to-mona-el.html

Ahmed

I think you are right to point this out, but it is not only Arabs who are racist. I am from South Asia, and there is so much color awareness there it makes your stomach turn. In fact, educated people of all faiths will very comfortably call Africans “Kaloos” which basically means “Blackies” and is extremely derogatory. My mother always said the reason Allah sent Islam to the Muslims is because they didn’t have a hope without it.

Mona, you make a very valid point about our treatment of minorities in Egypt. I have seen the mistreatment too. But, I cannot agree with you the ‘racism’ is at its roots.

Let me just start by saying that race is not so clearly defined in Egypt due to the fact that – being geographically African, culturally Arab, and having endured centuries of inter-mixing – we cannot, realistically, be racist or we’d end up hating (quite often) our own family members. Case in point, was Anwar Sadat black, white, or what? He was darker than Obama, and had Sudanese/ Nubian blood. Him being president was not seen as a victory for people of color.

True, lighter skin and straight hair are perceived as signs of beauty; but that is no different from other cultures who perceive the opposite of their dominant features as rare, and therefore, desirable attributes.

Your points about the passive indifference and lack of reaction of the Egyptian masses to the mistreatment of others are very well noted. I struggle with that all the time: women are regularly harassed on the street, the rich and powerful get preferential treatment at government and private outlets, foreigners are treated as numero uno while Egyptians are always second class citizens in their own homes….and the list goes on. It is a phenomenon that spreads across the Egyptian landscape, but it is not racism. Which perhaps makes it even worse and more widespread. But that is the truth.

I, for one, am mistreated in my own country by the authorities on a regular basis. At check points, police stations, and almost anywhere where I come across the executive powers of our rotten, corrupt, inefficient, pathetic excuse of a government. But as soon as I brandish my Canadian passport, I receive apologies and respect. Go figure.

You’re right, we as a people behave hypocritically; taking the appearance of religion and not the core. Wearing the hijab and mistreating people, not standing up for what’s right. But its not racism. Its the classist corrupt torturous system some call ‘government’ that runs our lives that has instilled this in the people. It has created uneducated mutilated zombies whose only living hand to mouth just trying to make ends meet.

The woman who told you she remained silent cause she was afraid of the culprit’s reaction. That symptomatic of all our people, and its wrong. But its the way of Egypt today. Can you speak for any justice today in Egypt? Can you criticize el presidente? Heeelll no! You can beat around the bush and point fingers at those around him (the ones he places and removes at will), but you can’t talk about the truth, can you. Oh you’ll disappear so fast you won’t know what hit you. We can’t even hold protests in support of Palestine like the ones held in London, USA, the rest of Europe and even Israel itself!! If you do, the organizer’s arrested, the main activists imprisoned, and the protest kept in check behind university gates. And you wonder why we don’t speak the truth, support justice? For most people, its too high a price to pay.

Yes we mistreat Africans. We also mistreat our bedouins who’ve come to often deny any connection to Egypt. But do you blame them – I mean who wouldn’t when thousands of your people are imprisoned for years on end because of a handful of suspected terror bombers?

But most of all, Egyptians are mistreated Mona. The Egyptian government may have killed 28 Sudanese at the protests a few years back. But that same government has killed hundreds through blatant criminal negligence, for example, with the sa3eed train incident. And you know what they compensation paid for the hundreds of poor people slowly burnt to crisp on their way to their towns in upper Egypt to spend Eid was? Guess. EGP 5000. Yup, that’s less than it costs for a head of cattle. The going rate for an Egyptian life is less than that of a cow. How do you like them apples?

When you site the 33 Sudanese migrants killed at the border, please also remember the many hundreds more killed in our prisons every year, and the thousands tortured.

As for the Arab indifference towards Darfur. That is dictated by a strict political stance that is all too often shamelessly proclaimed by all the governments: we do with our own people as we please, no other Arab country should interfere in our ‘internal affairs’, don’t bring out my dirty laundry otherwise I’ll bring out yours. Examples: the massacre of the marsh Arabs and Kurds by Saddam, subjugation of the Shia in Saudi, mistreatment of the Berbers in North Africa, and the list is looong.

To sum it up Mona, yes we do have double standards, yes we are apathetic and hypocritical, yes we live in jungles where only the strong survive, yes we have become sheep for some messed up drugged up shepherds, yes, yes yes. But it isn’t racism I’m afraid, its far more inclusive of that. Your race don’t matter so much, its whether you are poor, weak, or downtrodden that determines how much abuse you’ll be served.

You are very right though with your suggestion that a united voice and common front is the only way to combat this disease that has gone too far for too long.

Hello Mona,
I just found your article today. Thank you for standing up for the right thing!!!

Back in 1972, I found out about racism in Egypt. As an American who married an Egyptian (1971) my husband at the time was very proud to say, while he lived in the U.S., that Islam sees no color and that there is no discrimination in Egypt as there is in the States. However, on my first trip to Eygpt, in 1972, I saw blatant racism – against a little 9 year old girl named Ikhlas, who was made to carry our heavy suitcases up 2 flights of stairs. And, when she dropped them, they swore at her and hit her. I was appalled at the “Muslim Men” who took part in this behavior. I could not let that little girl carry my bags…so I carried my own and voiced my disgust with the “new” relatives and my husband. This little girl had very dark skin, compared to the others. My husband and his father also used the term “barbari” in describing those with darker skin color – imagine that – all the while saying that he did not discriminate!!
I could go on….with more observations.

Egyptians are very good people (at heart) but I believe that they do not see their biases, for whatever reason. Or, they have difficulty confronting their true, deep feelings.

Thank you for standing up for the right thing – again.

As a black egyptian (nubian) but born and raised in england i must say the first time i experienced racism in my life was sadley in my own country.. i slowly grew to resent egyptians and felt embarrassed by their ignorance. i have been to several other arab countries and i must admit i never had no problems, infact they where friendly in a way i wish egyptians would be. It has improved a bit more then when i was a young girl. But every now and then when i visit egypt and someone asks where i am from (always assuming i am Emeriti) i find i have to swear by god im egyptian and then explain i am from aswani heratiage and only then do they believe me… its like the nubian egyptians are invincible in cairo..

We must help everyone every where, In the name of Allah. He has taught us to pick up the ones who have been hurt and help them, not hate them because they are “insignificant.” Surely we are all his creation and we all belong to him, so do to others what you wish would be done unto you… where is your heart? Is it good and pure? or is it Spoiled and bad? You make the desision on where you want to go and who you want to be. Surely Allah will guide you along the way. Enshallah, he wont blind you for your ignorance.

Shukran Jazilan Mona. A true Muslim(a) will fight injustice anywhere it is to be found. I am glad that you confronted the devils in hijabs–oh there are so many of them. You should have also quoted the sura from the quran that talks about the proud Arabs. It would have shut their mouths completely

Mona

As a Brit living in Cairo, I get to see a lot of this kind of thing. I remember sitting in a bar many years back and seeing some Egyptians from Cairo calling a Nubian “donkey” and other such things. Back then I wouldn’t have stepped in and said anything. I was too young and lacking in confidence. These days, I’m more likely to intervene in such situations, having more experience, confidence etc.
My main problem is that, as a white man, I tend to be told to mind my own business. The attitude is that as a non-Egyptian (and particularly a white Westerner) I have no right to comment on anything in Egypt, much less step in to defend someone from abuse.
It’s an interesting twist on the whole situation; as a white guy, I’m subject to the old “foreigners go home” attitude, and I can’t even fall back on “Well, I’m a Muslim, actually…” or “Well, I was born in Egypt, so it’s my country too…” In fact, my only defence in all such cases is as follows: We are all human, and therefore all equal. And bullying of any kind is wrong in any country, culture or language. Wherever I see something that feels instinctively wrong, I’ll step in a say something. And if people don’t like the colour of my skin, they can take a long walk of a short pier.
Like I say, what’s important is that we’re all human, living on an ever-shrinking planet, and evil behaviour is evil wherever it takes place. And I certainly don’t recognise being a foreigner as any kind of reason for keeping one’s mouth shut.
I just thought this might lend a slightly different perspective on the whole colour/racism/tribalism/jingoism debate.

Tom

Hi Mona this is a great blog. I can totally sympathise with you. Im a half Moroccan from London and Ive just moved to Rabat to work as the corespondent for Press TV. Lets just say getting my Press Pass took a while as Moroccans could not figure out who I was. I also get stares when im holding my French boyfriend’s hand in public as they think im a moroccan local prostitute. Further more I was told to translate some French texts into English for a Moroccan company in Rabat and they tried to scam me as they made the excuse but you are a Moroccan local and you used basic English. I scanned them my British passport and sent it to them and I said do not categorise and put people in boxes and you will pay me for my work. They are scared now that I will write a report for this for the British papers and they want to pay me as soon possible lol
Keep up the good work. If you have time you should check out my blog ‘Is Mixed Up Messed Up?’

The situation in the new boom-town economies of the Arabian Gulf is compounded by the fact that Discrimination is now a more complex conondrum with many variables involved:
1. Rich v/s ‘common proletariat’ (Appearance- Apparel, shoes, sun glasses, perfume & make-up, gadgets & accessories, vehicles, contents of your wallet/purse…
2. ‘Fair’ v/s ‘Coloreds’, (No wonder LOTR was such a great hit, as the word ‘fair’ was associated with goodness and ‘dark’, with evil, as those accursed southeners and ‘black’ Numenoreans). In this respect Philipinos get better treatment, than say, a darker-complexioned Sri Lankan.
3. Nationality: 1st world v/s third world. A fair complexioned Sri Lankan stands a better chance at being treated more fairly than a black from the UK.
- in order of preference.
There are many more points, which I consider minor:
4. Your VOICE (How Loud? How Vocal? How Pointed?) There’s a saying ‘The baby that cries gets the milk’.
5. Religion (Your God, my God, our God- that sort of thing)
Also Gender- but I’m treading on some toes here.
So I withdraw.

This is a very sad story. It sounds like this person was acting out based on the other girl’s religion/race. I believe that people should base feelings and attitudes on personality alone. Just because you are black or white, you believe in a different god(s) than I do, doesn’t mean you should be treated differently; although, I firmly believe that everyone is stereotypical in some way (at least in America). From my experience, people tend to judge other people on first sight, based on the way they look (race, genetic features, style of dress, and etcetera). This is wrong but it is a survival mechanism. I am not supporting the girl who is allegedly racist, but I do believe people pre-judge other people on first experiences. For example, a friend and I were “jumped” by about eight other men, mostly black but some were white, at a church picnic. Since then I have pre-judged a lot of people, both black and white, and on EVERY occasion, I have been right. I have been stabbed and even shot at, but my prejudice has served me well. Some people may think “I am just asking for trouble. How does one man get shot at and stabbed?” the truth is, I am only 20; I am a citizen of the U.S. and am a native of Louisville, Kentucky, I am a college student and I have practically no criminal record (other than parking tickets). Stand up for justice, don’t be bullied, and don’t sit by and watch while others are. I have put myself at much risk, but I feel better than I would have had I been bullied or sat by watching others being bullied. My point is, don’t judge people based on certain things, especially race. Also, do not be afraid to get to know other people because they look different or have different beliefs, but also be wary, we live in troubled times and some people are not exactly who they make out to be. I hope people read this because to me it is “truth”.

This is the raciest EGYPT
Egyptians suffer from inferiority complex
they reflect it on others , taunting any one who is different and
especially the so called ugly alien blacks
my skin is black , iam egyptian and I love my color and I am proud enough with myself.

And I am black, but my soul is white – (William Blake)

Mona, Mona, Mona… Arabs being proud racists is no secret.

to defend the rights of a Sudanese girl on the Cairo Metro means to defend my right on the New York Subway

Brilliant article.

Mona,

As an American Black man, I appreciate you standing up and condemning Arab racism, so many people just sweep this under the rug. There is far, far too much racism in the Arab world.

Muslims wonder about Islamophobia and anti-Arab sentiment. They wonder why people, such as myself, support Israel against the Arabs. Well, how can I people who are racist and discriminate against me and other Blacks.

You should know somebody is using your post as “his own” You find him on facebook, under the name of Mike Adam.Also, stories about you find in this group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/133895630025236/

Ahmed I have to disagree with you on Egypt’s history. Ancient Egypt and the Ancient Egyptians themselves were just as African, culturally, racially, and geographically as the Nubians. So your explanation that “Egyptians’” hostility against black people stems from Egypt/Nubian rivalry is false. There is no non-black Africa. All of Africa is Black Africa as far as the original inhabitants are concerned. Especially in the ancient times. And there is no such thing as a non-black African civilization. What an oxymoron!

The real reason why modern day “Egyptians” and other “Arabs” are racist against black people and others are for two reasons: identity confusion and poverty. Arab “Egyptians” like yourself like to believe that you’re the Ancient Egyptians but you’re not. And many “Arabs” in the Middle East falsely believe they’re white or “Caucasian.” Both of these stem from Colonial miseducation. Thanks to white Western Imperialist revisionist history, the whole world has been infused with notions of white-superiority such as light-skin beauty and white-supremacist distortions of history. India and the Middle East have been particularly targeted with white-washings of their racial identity: Indians with the Aryan/Invasion(migration) Race Myth and Middle Easterners being labeled as “Caucasian” in an attempt to whiten Ancient Middle Eastern civilizations who’s Biblical connections are precious to the Judeo-Christian heritage of Europeans.

Unfortunately, these lies continue to be taught to “Arabs.” And, as a result, Arabs are some of the most confused people on earth about who they are and their identity. Unlike American and European history, Arabs seem to not have been informed of an in depth history of their region and the diverse and complicated history of ethnic composition of current populations in relation to themselves. Hence, many Arabs go to extremes by either claiming Ancient civilizations that they aren’t related to, such as Arab “Egyptians” claiming Ancient Egypt, or by identifying themselves as white.

European dominance and especially the influence of American white-supremacy has sparked a global thirst for whiteness where many try to abandon their brown non-white identity in favor of claiming whiteness. Arabs and other Middle Easterners are the worst. And no wonder. Europeans spent the most energy in revising the region’s ethnic history as Caucasian and brainwashing the inhabitants with a false white/Caucasian identity. Based upon the history of slavery and notions of white superiority, America has invented a hierarchy of race with whites at the top and blacks at the bottom and has been most influential in exporting this racist ideology abroad. The whole world has taken note and now imitates this model and perception of the races.

In regards to black people, I believe that North African Arabs have been deliberately fed lies about North African history. Particularly in regards to who the original inhabitants of North Africa are. I also suspect that there is a form of semi self hatred among North Africans who still have (and may subconsciously resent) the traces of African genes in themselves. That, compounded with compliance to white America’s hierarchy of race, the inferiority complex and desire for whiteness, poverty and the human sinful need to look down upon others, is the perfect recipe for disdain against those of a darker hue and against oneself.