Empower Street Girls of Egypt

For several years the Empowerment of Women and Girls covers the headlines. Celebrities give their names and time to advancing the causes of women in underdeveloped countries to help ensure benefit these neglected members of society. Mulala Youseffsai stands as a beacon for the cause of educating girls so they needn't to be subjugated to the whims of overbearing tyrants. Charities give to girls from war-torn countries in sub-Saharan Africa; NGOs contribute to guarantee empowerment of women from these areas of the world.
Yet with so much emphasis on Empowerment of women, one group of girls is sadly ignored. These are the street girls of Egypt. Abandoned by families, despised by their own people, raped, beaten by gangs, picked up by police, and dumped in dysfunctional ‘fix-it’ places called Islahayas, these girls are a charity supported by Middle East Connections Consultancy.
We initially began working with these girls and helping our good friend Hanna Hartmann-Hosni, in 2006. A word on Hanna, she devotes a great deal of her time, energies, and resources to these girls, enlisting her students from the DEO [German School in Dokki, Egypt]. They support fund-raising for the street girls in addition to efforts for Syrian refugees.

Our purpose in offering these lovely hand-made Egyptian goods for sale is to give the profits from the sales to these street girls. These profits assist Hanna in hiring teachers for some of the girls. Not all the girls are allowed schooling. In the Agouza Islahaya [Cairo suburb] on around 15-20 girls out of the population of over 120 girls see any classroom help. The government ignores these girls, Hanna searches for funds to keep her ‘volunteer’ teachers employed. Funds are also sought to buy clean, usable mattresses for the Islahaya, soap, lice-shampoo, towels, and washcloths. Hanna’s greatest support, her husband Souhail Hosni, another Egyptian unsung hero alongside his wife, dedicates his expertise in helping to build a clean usable eating area.

The pictures on this page explain so much. Each girl has a police record, necessary to be put in the
Islahaya. Some girls, as young as 3 or 4, are identified as ‘criminals’. Purchasing these lovely hand-crafted items – some made by the girls themselves – will help us and Hanna Hartmann-Hosni – give these girls a chance for personal Empowerment.

My book, Il Binait Dol: Egypt’s Hidden Shame, offered on our site and also through Amazon’s Create Space Store is a more in-depth account of the lives these girls live, many stories in their own words and voices.

UNICEF and Children

This morning I viewed an advertisement produced by UNICEF about the abuse and suffering of children. Liam Neeson’s very distinctive voice spoke only a few words about each graphic scene. Words were not necessary. The scenes depicted the horrors. One girl raped in this spot, one child slept in this alleyway after being thrown out of home, another child murdered and so on. One thing is certain; these global abuses of children must not be allowed to continue.

Anyone who abuses children, regardless of politics or geographical location should be punished to the utmost allowed by law. UNICEF’s campaigns for the betterment of children are a great way of bringing to light the global sufferings of children and fortunately many celebrities like Liam Neeson and others help in this awareness campaign. Many years ago, when the beautiful Audrey Hepburn became UNICEF Ambassador, she gave the rest of her short life to help children. Pictures of her with undernourished children from sub-Saharan Africa still hold a memory of a beautiful, talented woman devoting her energies to the needs of those who could not help themselves.

UNICEF maintains this ‘cause celeb’ in its campaigns against child suffering and abuse. We are more aware of the horrors of sex-trafficking of young girls, diseases due to poverty and war, the millions of Syrian refugees suffering the indignities of losing homes and families and what their children endure. Most especially since the attempted murder of Mulala Youssefsai by the Taliban which said women and girls must stay home and forget schooling, the newest watchword is the Empowerment of Women/Girls. The strongest tool to empower women is education. Mulala refused to be silenced, even at death’s door. She garnered global support; the actress Angelina Jolie founded the Mulala Fund, its main purpose to empower girls through education, raising money for this cause.

Yet throughout all this there is still one group of girls who, similar to the UNICEF advert, experience rape, homelessness through being discarded by families, live in alleyways scrounging for scraps of food, used by street gangs all for the promise of a place to sleep and some food, and the worst indignity of all abuse by the very group sworn to protect them, the police. These are the street girls of Egypt. They bear the scorn of their own families, their own society, government, and all who should step in to protect them. To mention a street girl in Egypt is to bring ridicule, of course they are known. Cairo itself has between 50,000 and 200,000 street children – more than half girls.

No one hears about them. If caught by the police who appear to have quotas, they are brought to the stations, often abused first in the station from whippings to rape, given criminal records, and then dumped in places called Islahayas. Some of these girls are under 10 years of age. The Islahayas are no better than prisons, facilities at a minimal, certainly no real education, and no hope. But the world doesn’t hear about these girls. Is it politically incorrect to step on Egyptian government toes? The West needs Egypt politically on side. Bringing this issue to light, one which the government and society deride might inflame the delicate political balance.

A friend and colleague, over 30 year resident of Egypt, Hanna Hartmann-Hosni became my mentor in this situation. So much so that I had my university students assigned as a project to visit these girls in the Agouza Islahaya. Whenever possible I have visited them myself, helped Hanna, even wrote a book using the girls’ own words to describe their lives inside and outside.[1] Hanna raises money through Christmas Bazaars at the school where she is head librarian, the German School in Dokki to pay for volunteer teachers. Even then those in change only allow 15 or 20 girls out of a population of over 120 to receive any schooling. Hanna holds an annual  pyramid race, takes contributions of clothes, and many other activities to raise money to help educate even a few of the girls. It is a difficult process, often stymied by the madams in charge or government officials. Her husband, Hanna’s greatest supporter, steps in to her aid whenever possible. It’s an endless cycle of hope and despair, with the world at large not even aware of these girls. NGOs in Cairo don’t step in to help; other charities appear to have better places for their money. But the empowerment of girls through education is truly the best solution and Cairo has so many un-empowered with no hope at all. Hanna works alone with a few supporters and the odd donations, but where is UNICEF in this fight to change the lives of these girls – Il Binait Dol? Where are the celebrity voices which could do so much toward enlightening the world about this disparaged part of society?

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[1] Il Binait Dol: Egypt’s Hidden Shame

Riots – Mubarak Verdict

Two days ago, Cairo’s High Court handed down a verdict on the one-time Egyptian dictator, Hosni Mubarak. Their verdict stated he was not guilty of ordering the killings of Egyptians who took part in the 25^th January 2011 Arab Spring demonstrations. Nearly four years later, Egyptian tempers ignited in violence and street riots resulting in 2 deaths and many injuries – all in protest against the High Court’s decision.

According to one demonstrator, even the religious and political divides were momentarily healed in united efforts against this exoneration of Mubarak, although the dictator is still serving 2 other consecutive prison terms for stealing and bribery.

In America, the streets of Ferguson, Missouri burned with rage and destruction over their Grand Jury’s non-indictment verdict against Darren Wilson, the policeman who shot and killed 18 year-old Michael Brown. Inflamed against this verdict, protestors marched to the governor’s mansion. The media rings with legal discussions, news programs, and commentators dedicating hours to understanding this non-indictment verdict and what will happen next. At least in America, there is always hope, though slim, for change, for America has a legal system which has the potential to bring sense and change to dilapidated verdicts. On the other side of the world, in Egypt, there is a legal system, there has been hope for change since 2011, but the road to positive transformation is much more than bumpy, it’s fraught with jagged rocks. One step up and two steps back until more order, freedoms, and economic surety can be restored to Egypt and Egyptians.

Since 2011, Egypt has been stymied in each effort to climb out of economic downturns, cultural and religious frictions. Although the military was called in to quell the street riots in Cairo this week, Egyptian president al-Sisi has yet to issue any official statement regarding the High Court’s verdict. When he does, what he says will either create larger chasms on Egypt’s road to recovery or he may find some ground to begin healing the huge breaches among the various factions which stand in the way of forward progress for Egypt.

The real comparison between the two situations this week – Cairo and Ferguson – are the court systems and how their power affects those directly involved. America stands as a world-wide exemplar for democracy, but many claim that last week’s Ferguson verdict has clouded this vision. The Grand Jury process is not transparent, and has led many Americans to doubt the honest functionality of this part of our legal system. On the other side, many of Egypt’s people want the beginnings of a democracy, but without a judicious and transparent court system, this is virtually impossible. Governments depend on the openness of their legal systems, citizens hope for fair verdicts, and as demonstrated this past week, stability and integrity depend on courts upholding the highest principles of justice.

Response to President Erdogan of Turkey

Two days ago Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan publicly announced that women are lesser than men and cannot be treated equally. He accused feminists of rejecting motherhood. He based his statement on the Muslim belief, according to him, that women are meant for motherhood and childbearing and outside of these roles, their subservience to men is mandatory. He claimed that western women, feminists, liberal thinkers, have no idea about the true role of women and that modern ideas are creeping in to corrupt women of the Islamic faith, distort their belief6, and weaken Islam.

Interesting comments from one whose own faith lauds and praises certain women of Islam who apparently didn’t follow the role of motherhood. Mohammed’s first wife, Khadija, was a merchant, the bread-winner, without whose support Mohammed may not have had the courage to continue his spiritual mission. She was also childless. One other of Mohammed’s wives, his last and historically considered his favourite wife was Ayesha. At age six she captivated the aging prophet, at age nine, she officially ‘married’ him. Did she ever bear children, experience motherhood? According to all known records this never happened. Rather, after the prophet’s death she focused her attentions in a decidedly ‘non-motherly’ direction, warfare, conquest, and the defeat of her declared Muslim enemies. Her most particular sworn enemy was Ali, son-in-law to Mohammed and last of the first four Caliphs after Mohammed.

Ayesha led her armies in battle, the most famous of which is remembered as The Battle of the Camel. Although she suffered defeat by Ali’s forces, this did not prevent her from continuing her campaigns against him. Today, the memories of both Ayesha and Khadija remain as icons of the Islamic faith; their names favoured among parents, yet both took leadership roles and remained childless.

The question now can be asked of men such as Mr Erdogan and others like him whose firmly entrenched beliefs that women are inferior creatures is what do they fear? Do they cringe at the thought of women with power outside of the home? For more than the 1500 or so years since Islam came into being and the over 2000 years of Christianity, men have taken complete control of politics, economics, and all other aspects that move civilization. We look around us to see nothing but horrific messes, murders, wars, economic failures, and crimes of unspeakable nature and still allow men to dictate that women should not have roles outside the home. Though this thought is now more cliché than original, would it not be more appropriate to incorporate the largest percentage of the world’s population into everyday running of international affairs. We couldn’t be worse off than we already are.

An interesting side note to Mr Erdogan’s diatribe. When I visited the capital city of Turkey Ankara and its wonderful Turkish National Museum, I enjoyed a particular interest of mine, the ancient Hittite civilization. The Hittites were a very influential ancient civilization and covered a large part of what is now Turkey, parts of Syria, and into Iraq. Mr Erdogan needs to revisit this exhibit as a majority of the artifacts from the Hittites were icons and images dedicated to the female image. The icon worshipped by ancient tribes, not just as mother and wife, but as goddess, leader, communicators with the gods, and decision makers for their peoples. If these ancient civilizations were matriarchal, it appears they recognized the importance of women not just as mothers, but as equals.

Egypt’s Road to Democracy?

A friend sent me an article on Egypt’s latest crisis the other day. She knew I’d be interested in the latest verbal attacks directed at the country. After reading the article, I’ve become more convinced that the news we receive regarding the Middle East is incredibly skewed, we have no chance of really understanding the political, social, and religious climate so pervasive and controversial.

The article EGYPT: The Return to Authoritarianism and the Crisis of Citizenship Rights by Moataz El Fegiery of the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies - October 2014,[ARAB CITIZENSHIP REVIEW No. 6] gives the reader an impression of a return to the complete totalitarian regime fostered for 30 years by Hosni Mubarak. The writer’s remarks subtly imply that the Sisi government is doing everything in its power to undermine any steps toward democracy and the accompanying freedoms.

But on closer examination the evidence reveals and almost sinister bias toward the Muslim Brotherhood and all their accompanying policies. Mr Fegiery is quick to bring home sins of repression to the Sisi government while completely ignoring the past repressions under Mr Morsi’s short-lived presidency. These particularly refer to the repression of women’s rights as Mr Morsi unilaterally revoked a woman’s right to travel without her husband’s permission, he re-legalized FGM, one of the worst indignities against women, and in a humiliating move, removed a woman’s right to inaugurate divorce proceedings. These actions were done without any Parliamentary accord as Morsi also refused to call for general elections, another accusation levelled at Sisi.

Whether or not the general elections promised by Sisi will happen by year’s end, and whether or not representation will be equitable in a new Parliament, is yet to be seen. But it must be remembered that Sisi operates under severely dysfunctional conditions as Egypt continues to reel under a series of changes, none of which have improved the economic, social, or political stability so desired by most Egyptians.