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| The Cairene crowds at a bazaar |
With its vastly complex heritage Egypt makes a truly complicated society. Describing a typical Egyptian and how he or she reacts in different situations is a downright daunting task, much more so than in any Western society. Just think of the crazy mix of the pharaonic and Arabic legacy and then add an even more incongruous element of modernity to it all. These vastly different components make up an average Egyptian mind the reactions of which are not always easy to predict for outsiders. Just take for example the paradoxical treatment of homosexuality - it is probably difficult to find a single Egyptian male who has never experienced gay sex in his life, yet homosexuality remains an anathema. On the other hand, foreign women are verbally harassed on daily basis all over the country, yet very few male Egyptians would actually dare assault a woman physically. So even though walking the streets of Egyptian provincial towns may prove rather unpleasant for an unaccompanied woman, the chances that she will actually be raped are significantly lower than in any apparently more women-friendly city in the West. When it comes people's reactions, The Egyptians are very friendly disposed towards the disabled travelers. Their offers of help in this case are almost always sincere and should be accepted. Considering that the infrastructure for the disabled is either insufficient or altogether lacking throughout the country, the disabled will depend on the help of the locals heavily. Traveling the country with children is also a fairly pleasant activity as the Egyptians love them and treat them in a friendly and relaxed way. On the overall the country could be classified as very safe when it come to children travellers.
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| The infrastructure catering for the disabled is not well developed in Egypt |
The disabled travellers might consider organizing a trip to Egypt with the help of a travel agency. There are several excellent Egyptian agencies that specialize in organizing the tours for the disabled. Travellers using them usually return home quite happy so you need not worry that you'll end up on some vulgar and boring package tour. If you still insist on organizing the trip yourself, for any reason what so ever, here are some tips for you to see how to bypass the potential obstacles:
Cairo International is by far the best equipped one. It disposes with ramps, elevators and toilets for the dissabled. The one at Sharm el-Sheikh is also easy to navigate for the disabled. The airports at Luxor and Aswan cater rather badly for the disabled - there are no special toilets, for example. But luckily both of them were built on one level which makes them fairly easy to negotiate for the wheelchair users. If you happen to be travelling on an organized tour, the agencies will arrange disabled-friendly buses. If you're travelling independently you shouldn't rely on finding appropriately equipped buses as these are extremely rare and rather expensive. When it comes to accommodation it should be pointed out that even though a large number of hotels is equipped with a ramp at the entrance gate very few of them are entirely disabled friendly. This means that once you have checked in you may find that the swimming pool, the restaurant or other facilities are out of your reach. The more upmarket hotels usually feature a certain number of rooms equipped for the disabled. Needless to say such rooms will also have bathrooms with support bar and the rest of the necessary infrastructure. However, three or four-star hotels, with some notable exceptions in Sharm el-Sheikh and Nuweiba, don't provide for the disabled travellers. In case you're planning to book a cruise you should be extremely careful because a limited number of operators caters for disabled guests. However, the number of the companies specializing in cruises for the disabled offer high quality service. Moreover, the number of such companies is growing. When it comes to sightseeing for the disabled in Egypt, it still remains a difficult thing to do. This is mainly due to the nature of the sights and it is unlikely that some of the obstacles will ever be removed. Entering the pyramids and some of the Theban toombs is likely to remain permanently out of a disabled traveller's reach. The Philae Temple also remains out of reach for the wheelchair users. Again, the concentration of the accessible sights is highest in Cairo. The disabled friendly sights include:
All Western women travellers should have one thing in mind - Egypt is a conservative Muslim country and this conservatism is at its most obvious when the issues of sex and women are brought up. These two topics are where the opinions of the Westerners and the Egyptians are likely to differ the most. Everybody's heard countless stories about nosy Egyptian men bothering foreign women travellers. This has resulted in many stereotypes in the West, but it should be also noted that half-truths are the way in which the Egyptians (men or women) think about the foreigners travelling in the their country as well. Generally speaking Westerners are thought of by the locals as promiscuous and obsessed with sex. This especially applies to Western women whose behaviour and the way they dress differs radically from that of the Egyptian women. Apart from strictly following the rules on how to behave in public, the Egyptian females, or at least a large majority of them, is limited to the domestic sphere of life where they perform their roles of mothers and housewives. However, the harsh reality of a country plagued by poverty drives these women out of their houses and into the fields or other jobs, but the female participation in the world of labour by no means translates into their equality in the society. This may seem strange to a traveller who's just come to Egypt, but the Westerners should not forget that the woman's role in present-day Egypt very much resembles the one that women in the West had before the spreading of the feminist movement only a century ago.
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| Out shopping |
Nowadays, sex is probably one topic that very few Egyptians and Westerners will agree on. Premarital sex is still very much a taboo in Egypt. Nevertheless it's widely practiced both by women and men, but even so it is not something people talk about. In other words, even if an Egyptian practices premarital or extramarital sex she or he won't be more open towards it in everyday discussions. And even though strict Muslim sex laws apply to both sexes, the women are those to bear the brunt of the social hypocrisy. The reputation of the whole family, especially among the lower classes, depends on their daughters' premarital innocence. It is of utmost importance for women to be virgins when they marry and if this is not the case the girl's family may potentially be ostracized by the entire community. In order to secure their daughters' innocence, families impose strict limitations on their free movement and the circle of people they come in contact with. However, it should be noted that among the upper classes the attitude towards sex may greatly differ from the Egyptian average. Due to the absence of sexual liberty Egyptian men perceive the presence of Western females as a chance of getting something without facing the consequences imposed by the strict Muslim society. Moreover, thanks to Western TV-programs and the way many foreign Women dress when they come to Egypt, Egyptian men tend to perceive foreigners as constantly offering themselves. This is the reason why most of the female visitors receive at least some verbal harassment during their trip. In order to ward the unwanted attention off, female travellers should come equipped with the knowledge of some useful phrases in Arabic such as la' tilmasni (don't touch me) or ihtirim nafsak (behave yourself) which should be shouted out loud in order to embarrass the assertive male. This said, some justice should be done to the Egyptian men too. In spite of being loud and nosy, they very rarely represent a serious threat. Even though physical harassment occurs from time to time, the chances that you'll actually be raped are lower than in most Western countries.
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| Traditional female attire |
Don't bother much about dressing conservatively on the private beaches along the Sinai and the Red Sea coast. The same goes for upmarket clubs in Cairo where plenty of local girls come dressed in surprisingly skimpy clothes. But be always aware of the fact that these are just enclaves. It's best for you to always observe the locals and adjust the way you dress accordingly. Dress extra conservatively if travelling in the countryside or when visiting the places of worship. Extra conservatively meaning you should have something to cover your head with. The term "conservative dressing" should also be clarified as it somewhat differs from what is understood as conservative in the West. You should make sure your shoulders and your arms, at least, down to elbows are covered and your legs, any part of them, shouldn't show either. Very conservative would mean that your head is covered too. Dressing appropriately will greatly cut the unwanted attention, but, unfortunately, it won't eliminate it completely. If you want to further minimize the undesired interaction with the local males it's best to travel in group or in the company of a male.
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| Kids playing at the foot of the Bent Pyramid |
With one of the highest birth rates in the world the Egyptians have grown accustomed to the presence of kids in public, restaurants, hotels or elsewhere. Very often they behave in a more natural and relaxed way when dealing with them then the Westerners. Moreover, bringing your kids with you means that very often through them you'll be able to establish the contact with the locals more easily. On the other hand kids love Egypt, the land of the Pyramids and camels. Felucca rides can prove rather exciting for them as well. There are several issues to consider in order to make Egypt a safe destination for your child. If you're planning on renting a car bear in mind that they usually come without the seat-belts on the back seats unless you insist on that piece of equipment. Visitors from colder parts of the world should also remember to protect their infant from the cruel desert sun - you should insist the younglings wear a light felt hat at all times. Another great problem for the kids is that in Egypt they're never far away from diarrhoea which results in severe dehydration made worse by Egypt's warm and dry climate. As soon as you arrive stock up on Rehydran (rehydration salt sold at every pharmacy in the country) it will prevent worse cases of diarrhoea from turning into life-threatening situations.
Cairo 52
On May 11, 2001 52 gay men were arrested aboard a floating gay nightclub in Cairo. Upon the arrests the men were put into detention where they were mistreated. Apart from severe beatings they were subjected to forensic examinations which was "necessary" for the authorities to prove their homosexuality. All the arrested were kept in two cells with no beds or the possibility of satisfying their minimal sanitary needs. During a five-month trial the identity of the defendants was revealed in the media which disclosed their names and addresses. The only signs of protest came from outside of Egypt and the defendants were defended by foreign lawyers in court.
Five months later, in November, 21 of the men were found guilty of the "habitual practice of debauchery", one was charged with "contempt for religion" and another one, who received the harshest punishment of five years' hard labour, was found guilty of both "crimes". In 2003, during a round of retrial over which the same judge presided, the sentences were revised and increased to three years of imprisonment.
It is difficult to say whether homosexuality is legal or illegal in Egypt. The fact that there is no explicit mention of if in the penal code doesn't seem to prevent the police from arresting gay men sporadically. This is done with the help of the statues in the Egyptian law criminalising obscenity and public indecency. How exactly being gay relates to either obscenity or public indecency is a mystery the answer to which is a well kept secret of the Egyptian police. Nevertheless, due to this provision in the Egyptian law, there have been several highly publicized cases of police raids in which dozens of gay man were arrested. There have also been cases of the police arresting foreign nationals, but normally they would be released quickly (the authorities seem to show almost no interest in sanctioning the "debauched foreigners" or Egyptian or foreign lesbians either). Apart from the infamous Cairo 52 case in 2001 (see the boxed text) there have been numerous other police arrests of gay men during the past decade. Most notably on September 24th, 2003, when 62 homosexual men were arrested in the vicinity of Qasr el-Nil bridge, a popular gay cruising area. The following year a seventeen-year old university student was sentenced to 17 years in prison, including 2 years hard labour, on charges of posing a personal profile on a gay dating site. Like in Iran, the Egyptian police has switched to patrolling the various Internet chatrooms and gay sites which has led to an increased number of arrests recently. In one such Internet crackdown an Israeli tourist was arrested and jailed for fifteen days when he was allowed to leave the country.
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| Egyptian gay life is strictly limited to the private domain |
Judging by the present situation Egypt fully deserves to be labeled a homophobic society. Most of the Egyptians perceive homosexuality and transgenderism as detestable acts and find their suppression completely justified, even natural. However, homophobia and organized persecution by the authorities does not mean there is no gay action in Egypt. On the contrary, there seems to be an awful lot of gay sex there and if you're a foreign traveller in search of some you won't have to spend a lot of time looking for it. Sometimes it is, actually, offered to foreigners without them ever asking for it. It is difficult to explain why there are so many opportunities for gay sex in such a conservative country if Western logic is applied. The thing with homosexuality in Egypt is that the very idea of homosexuality as it is perceived there is much more difficult to define than it is in the West, which, naturally, leads to a lot of confusion. First of all, it is important to clarify the fact that in Egypt, like in many other Muslim societies, the active partner in a male same-sex intercourse is not considered gay. This categorization applies only to the passive partner. This, by Western standards, unusual classification is one of the reasons why there seem to be so many men throughout the Middle East ready to engage in gay sex as active participants. Moreover, like in the rest of Arab countries, men can be frequently seen holding hands in public, linking arms or greeting one another by kissing on the cheek. All of this, which is commonly understood as gay behaviour in the West, is no such thing in Egypt. There are many opportunities to misinterpret a situation in such a different and complex society, so if you're planning on engaging in man-to-man sex you had better come prepared. In spite of a lot of action behind the closed doors, there seems to be no obvious gay scene in Egypt. Not even in Cairo. But this should not discourage gay travellers since the lack of the ghettoization of gay life, so prevalent in the West, means the whole country is actually one big potential gay club. Passive or versatile guys will find a simple stroll down the street as stimulating as a visit to a gay club back home. And not just in Cairo. Those looking for passive Egypitan partners shouldn't be discouraged either even though they should be more patient with the locals, use your intuition and focus on meeting the same person several times.
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| There is no lesbian scene in the country |
The Arabic language has no words for homosexuality, and it's vocabulary is also rather limited when talking about same-gender sex is in questions. if man-to-man sex is being described words like "sodomy" or "bestiality" (their Arabic counterparts of course) can be used. But if one was to talk about lesbian sex in that language that would prove very difficult as the Arabic culture altogether ignores the possibility of women having sex without men, which is then, of course, reflected in language. In spite of their official and linguistic non-existence, there are still as many lesbians in Egypt as anywhere else in the world. The fact that the Egyptian homosexual women don't know how to call themselves does not automatically eradicate this phenomenon. However, an Egyptian woman will very often perceive sex with another woman as something not completely sexual. Partly this is due to a very patriarchal definition of sex to which most of the local women subscribe, but also to the fact that in some Muslim countries in the past it was customary for women to prepare girls for their married life teaching them how to use their bodies for sexual purposes.
The overall invisibility of lesbians in Egypt is due to the fact that the vast majority of them get married, continuing their homosexual practices extramaritally. A very limited number of upper class lesbians opts to stay single, but this is by no means an easy choice since the Egyptian society doesn't approve nor respect unmarried women. It goes without saying that the lesbian scene is nonexistent. Moreover, the absence of women from the public space makes it much more difficult for the lesbian visitors to engage into casual sex as it's very difficult to get into any kind of interaction with the Egyptian women who either stay indoors or behave modestly when in public. Finding a partner here would mean that you would have to stay in the country for a longer while and begin your search in the economically emancipated upper classes. No matter how frustrating the lesbian invisibility may seem, the negation of its existence has brought the Egyptian lesbians the advantage of not being pursued by the police which is something gay males in this country can only dream of.
There is no organized LGBT movement in Egypt which means that no sudden changes for the better, when it comes to LBGT rights, can be expected. In the late '90s there have been efforts to register a gay rights organization with the intention of combating the spread of AIDS-HIV, but the project never received any approval or support by the Government. LGBT persons cannot count on the Egyptian NGOs support either, because such organizations are too afraid of defending sexual minorities as this could do them a great deal of harm eventually. Needless to say, in such climate same-sex marriage and civil unions are not only non-existent, but also prohibited by law. It should also be noted that the Egyptian Law doesn't recognize the civil union to heterosexual couples either. All in all not much can be expected when Egyptian gay rights are concerned. The experience of other countries shows that only after homosexuality is decriminalized and LGBT movement established, gay and lesbian citizens can expect their governments to, first, acknowledge and then start respecting their rights. Unfortunately, Egypt is still very far away from attaining this high a level of social development, and any criticism addressed from abroad regarding this issue is automatically dismissed as anti-Muslim and decadent. At the time being both Egyptian Government and the people don't even see this kind of discrimination as a problem. Moreover, other countries in the region that have recently decriminalized homosexuality and regulated gay rights (Israel, Turkey) don't seem to have exercised any influence on the Egyptian Government so far.
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| No reliable data of HIV prevalence in Egypt is available |
AIDS-HIV is commonly seen by the Egypitans as a disease brought by foreigners, homosexuals or drug users. The general public is widely ignorant of the true nature of the disease. Moreover, an alarming number of the Egyptians is probably not even aware of the fact that a person can contract AIDS-HIV by having heterosexual marital sex as well. In 2005 confidential testing for HIV was finally allowed by the Government, but most of the people are afraid of having themselves tested as the positive result could automatically label one a homosexual and a de facto criminal.
Partly due to the unavailable or nonexisting data which would reflect the real situation, Egypt is classified as a low HIV prevalence country. In 2005 the number of HIV-positive citizens was estimated at 17,000. These numbers are almost certainly not reliable since, according to the available data, up to 30% of married women in remote rural areas have sexually transmitted infections. Very high incidence of Hepatitis C among the heterosexual population is a sign that HIV is much more widespread in Egypt than the previously stated numbers suggest as the modes of transmission of the two viruses are very similar. Misconceptions about AIDS-HIV and the severe lack of counseling and guidance at schools expose the young Egyptians to particular risk. In the past decade the entire Middle East has seen a surge in the numbers of infected population. If this trend continues the Government will have no choice but to rethink it current policy towards AIDS-HIV disease.
