Hayati fil Qahira -- My life in Cairo
In and around Egypt
On August 15, 2006, I arrived to Cairo after completing my M.A. from the University of Chicago to study Arabic and continue my research for the year. Currently, I am analyzing feminism in the Islamic world and how Islamic law is reconciled with feminism in the various tiers of society. I hope to become proficient in my Arabic skills so that I may conduct interviews with women in different tiers of society, eventually laying the groundwork for an ethnography of the different modes of feminism employed in this rich and diverse society.
I am enrolled at the American University in Cairo for the 2006-2007 academic year at the intensive Arabic Language Institute (http://www.ali.aucegypt.edu). AUC’s language institute is considered to be among the best in the Middle East and I expect to make the most of my year here in terms of my studies in Modern Standard Arabic as well as the colloquial Egyptian dialect.
During my stay here, I will work with the National Council for Women (http://ncw.gov.eg), an NGO that was newly established for women’s rights and whose council members include 30 public figures and experts in women’s issues. The National Council for Women is presided by none other than the first lady herself, Mrs. Suzanne Mubarak. I am looking forward to meeting and working with these inspirational figures.
During the winter break, I have tentative plans to visit Lebanon and Palestine. These are the two places in the Middle East that I have always yearned to visit, yet have not been able to because of the conditions in the region and my own circumstances with work/school. Both are so rich in history that I have only read about and am excited to have a chance to experience.
Of course I hope to go to Dahab, the Sinai region, and Sharm-el-Sheikh as many times as possible during the break!
After my year in Egypt, I will spend a portion of the summer of 2007 in Karachi, Pakistan working for the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan – HRCP (http://www.hrcp-web.org), one of the leading NGOs developed to highlight violence against women and to support their right of access to public spaces. The HRCP is also one of the most active women’s rights organizations in its efforts in local areas of Pakistan in aiding victims of rape and honor killings.
By the end of the summer, I hope to have enough material to do a comparative analysis of the different methods incorporated by the government as well as individual organizations to interpret Islamic law as it pertains to Muslim women in Egypt as well as in Pakistan. I hope in some small way to be able to contribute to the plight of Muslim women all over the world through my research and to express to the non-Muslim world that there can exist multivariate forms of feminism which are culturally specific to Muslim women.
I will continue to add to the site as I visit places and experience life in Cairo as well as the other places I plan to visit. Please check back often for reviews of restaurants, shopping areas, and resort/hotel reviews as well as a general update on my experiences.
--Anisa
Route taken and entries by Real Traveler Anisa
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1
Anisa's Going Away Party
My last night in Chicago was amazing. I was sure to spend as much time with my family as possible but with a hectic work schedule it was di... Continue reading »
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2
First Stop -- Masr Gadidah
We landed in Cairo sometime late in the afternoon. The weather was so hot it was difficult to breathe. Quite a drastic difference fro... Continue reading »
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3
Weekend at 'Ein-al-Sukhna ('the hot eye')
'Ein al sukhna literally means, 'the hot eye' -- these villas are located about 1 1/2 hrs. from heliopolis and border the red sea. It's the quick... Continue reading »
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4
Moving into Mohandeseen
After being rather disenchanted with our apartment search, we were about to head back home one afternoon when Ustaz Farouk happened to call and s... Continue reading »
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5
Tut Cafe
Beautiful outdoor experience and the most hilarious wanna-be breakdancers! Continue reading » -
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Dinner Cruise on the Nile
This was one of the most memorable evenings in Cairo so far. Dar-el-Amr is a lebanese restaurant on the Nile. Joining me were Ustaz Faro... Continue reading » -
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Starting School at AUC
The first few days of orientation were a nightmare! I was very quickly and now fully acquainted with the term, 'ma'alesh'. Basically, al... Continue reading » -
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Starting Classes at ALI -- AUC Main Campus
I really wasn't expecting to have to study at all for a while after I finished my M.A., but this fellowship came rather unexpectedly. I'm n... Continue reading »
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9
Cairo Jazz Club
The Cairo Jazz club is a great cozy hangout and has great bands nearly every evening of the week. This particular night, we saw Wust-al-Balad -- gr... Continue reading » -
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S.O.S. Fundraising Concert
Tonight marked my one month anniversary in Cairo, and what better way to enjoy it than to go to an outdoor benefit concert. This was an invitation-... Continue reading » -
11
Rehla Saeeda Ustaz Farouk
My dear friend and professor Ustaz Farouk was getting ready to leave for Chicago in the next couple of days and invited me over for dinner and to en... Continue reading » -
12
Weekend in Alexandria
Our weekend in Alexandria was a lot of fun -- the best part about it was the famous library and walking along the corniche. Alexandria is f... Continue reading »
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13
Ramadan in Cairo
I'm really excited about observing Ramadan this year in Cairo. I love listening to the adhan and I love that life stops around maghrib time an... Continue reading » -
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A word about being a woman in Cairo
So far I've written entries for friends and family to be able to keep up with my activities and experiences, but today I am in the mood to rant.&nbs... Continue reading »
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