Sex revolution in the Arab world?
My grandmother is back home… she was busy last few weeks in a pilgrimage that included Shmeisani, Weibdeh, Swileh, Abu Nseir and Aqaba….basically her sons and daughters’ homes… she goes on this pilgrimage at least twice a year. This way she makes sure she visits everyone or she تصل الرحم as we would say in Arabic…. a literal translation is to connect the womb… Man Arabic language is brilliantly rich!
Anyway, she is home, and therefore our TV is almost completely dedicated to two channels… Iqraa and Rotana Music! Yup, I understand the gap is huge… but who am I to object, when she says
A day for you and a day for God…
So…
I have been watching a lot of Arabian music video clips lately. Again and again, the audacity displayed there, is mesmerizing… There is a fierce current of resistance against the rigid social rules of 7aram and 3eib ( حرام وعيب) that govern our lives in the Middle East and that hold us all to higher moral standards. This current revolves around one thing… sexuality!
TV is still the most widely used medium in the Arab world, and the contradictions that are highlighted by this medium are massive. While some innocent girls get killed for honour almost on weekly basis these days, Arab sex symbols slither their curvy bodies and low cut dresses on Arabian national TVs almost constantly to the delight of the masses, which makes me wonder if we are at the threshold of a sex revolution in the Arab world?
There is something taking place, it is new and it is, definitely revolutionary. What is interesting about it is that there has been no obvious evolutionary process involved… it happened swiftly, sometime in last ten years, as a result of globalization and IT revolution. Young Arabs discovered a new sphere that allows them to bypass the strict social rules. Thousands, if not millions, of young Arabs are tuning to cyber forums and social-networking sites such as Facebook, chatting, posting videos on YouTube and Ikbis and writing blogs, most of them with overtly social and sexual themes. (Contrary to what the world thinks..i.e. politics)
The question that poses itself here is how does this revolution affect Arab societies, especially that intellectual discussion about sex is still not afoot with what is taking place in reality?
If I take a quick glance around me, I see that sex education is still not a priority in the educational systems, and if it is, teachers are still not qualified. Arabs still have a false feeling of safety, which explains why the Middle East is the second fastest spreading HIV epidemic in the world. Today there are around 380,000 reported cases. Last year alone 36,000 new cases were reported in the Arab world in comparison to 15,000 in the whole continent of Europe! The whole continent with all its liberalism and freedom and sexuality….
So where are we? What are the ramifications of this revolution on our societies? Are we going to catch up with our ancestors in the prime of the Islamic empire, who celebrated sexuality and understood the value of the intellectual debate? And how are we going to protect our youngsters whose first line of protection (I.e. culture and traditions), that had, seemingly, been working for us is failing to protect them?
Now in the spirit of sexuality and HIV, I recommend the movie all about my mother. I have probably written about it previously… but I still think that Almodovar is the only director who can get away with such concepts in such a creative way. It is an interesting watch.
Did they Islamic Empire celebrate sexuality for real?
Reply
Yes they did
lets go back the old literature and take Alf leila u leila as an example, a large proportion of the stories turn on erotic themes. Lets take the Perfumed Garden, a whole manual (الروض العاطر في نزهة الخاطر) that was wildely used and as a matter of fact considered high brow literature. Then if you take a more popular genre, then there is the majun poetry. Literature devoted for sexuality continued throughout the Ottoman era. Actually it continued up until the Mid ninteenth century, when the impact of western colonization started changing the literature rules…
Check people like: إمرؤ القيس , عمر بن أبي ربيعة , بشار بن برد , أبو نواس ,
أبو العَتاهِيَة
Reply
that’s a great news,and women will get freedom
Reply
Madas Reply:
August 21st, 2009 at 10:55
What is the great news? the possibility of a revolution? my worry is that a lot of people will be victimized by such a revolution. As long as we decide to close our eyes and make the choice of not seeing then i am not sure it is great news…
Reply
Probably Arabs are so sad and worn out from the political aspects, they can’t face it anymore, they can’t revolutionize against the Jews forever, they’re reverting to sex…….. substitution.
Reply
Madas Reply:
August 24th, 2009 at 07:56
maybe! we started seeing social change in the Arab world… slow, but it is happening… and it is good too… sex revolution happened in the late sixties and early seventies in the West, and a lot of things changed every since, especially when it cmes t women and their rights…. so i think this is the beginning of a long road of negotiation… where hopefully the scialety will find a balance that would make veryone happy
Reply
great thought-provoking article, as usual
thought u might find this interesting:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rK3XDkRLz-8&feature=channel_page
although i am a bit surprised that riz khan, a journalist i respect, contributed to the western-media cliche of presenting ‘liberal’ and ‘conservative’ faces of the arab world in such dabolical opposition…
Reply
Yes you are absolutely right about our current generation. A majority of the Middle Eastern population is 30 and younger. No one can deny that this young vibrant influence has changed our ways. At the same time, in my experience Islam for women is more a cultural way rather than a religious choice. I am an American Palestinian who see’s things much differently, but I do realize that our generation whether in the USA or Amman is quite similar. Fashion, media, and fame intrigue us the same way. Lets face it S** sells!!
Reply
Madas Reply:
January 26th, 2010 at 22:17
akh what a thorny topic… sex sells and older people are denying it… young people need to learn to know and to be exposed… and then you get culture and religion in the equation… and yalla
Reply
Head-scarves and such are of course contradicting any freedom of sexual expression by Muslim woman. I just wonder how Muslim Jordanian women regard their queen who does not wear the headscarve ‘as good example’ by the Queen?
It is indeed sad that ‘the Arab world’(in fact only SA/Arabian peninsular] it ‘haram’ to show any display of sex; and in SA the ‘niqaab’ I truly find an insult for women to wear; and insulting to women who do not; and for Arab males shameful to hide their women as their posessions.
Reply
Madas Reply:
February 28th, 2010 at 06:51
Wow, this comment show a complete lack of understanding of our culture, not only that, but it is purely western. For us on the other hand, we see it completely shameful for people to treat their partents the way you do in the west for exapample.
Women are treated like objects only in the brains of the west. I won’t deny that there is a lot of oppression against women here, but i won’t deny that there is a lot of oppression against women in the west as well…
Headscarve? that is the problem? it is traditon, people war it out of tradition, just like you have your own traditions, and you were whateer you want.
in summary… I still get surprised at voices, who express uninformed opinions from the wesxt. It is just sad.
Reply
@ Madas
Unfortunately headscarves are a traditon to a degree- but reinforced by Islam – in Saoedie-Arabia – but was merely for the security of women in that extremely dangerous environment where women were kidnapped for slave-markets, were Mohammed’s enemies would love to DISHONOUR him by raping his women – why they should not be SEEN.
For the same reason – before Islam – well to do christian women in Byzantium and Zoroaster women in Persia wore the full cover niqaab – when going out – and always accompanied by someone they could trust (as in Koran) also for their protection.
Headscarves were never worn over thousands of years by women in numbers of countries all over the world; and are completely unnecessary now at least in Europa were women never were forced to wear headscarves – except expected when going to Church. Headscarve now means nothing but the symbol of the oppression of women in Islam – to the sole benefit of Muslim men – and to great irritation to full-out dislike of millions of European women – deeply offensive.
Reply
Nice analysis, I want to remind that jordan was Ottoman land about 400 yearsss.
Suleiman the Magnificient (1495 – 1566) ’s imperial edict to France King Fransuva:
”According to information I got,you turned out a something , named dance, a man and a woman together dancing inside people, Because this behaviour doesnt place in our moral value, I order u stop it, otherwise , my army will come to spite you!”
I wish Ottoman Empire back for Islamic Republic,for Islmaic association , we lose our moral value because of west depravation. We lived all together in peace , 400 years, but now, there is war in middle east.
Reply