Research proposal

            Because Egypt has witnessed a social-cultural transformation towards conservatism and religiosity, my paper will attempt through investigation to find out what are the causes that lead to the reversing of a westernized trend. Among the possible causes that reversed the trend could be summarized into three causes: The president Sadat’s ending the Egyptian/ Russian alliance; Sadat’s releasing Muslim brotherhood from prison; the growing employment rate of Egyptians and the conservative gulf countries and its impact on women. The last two factors contributed to the return to veil and the Islamic dress in general.

            Before the in-depth investigation of the topic, I need to say why this topic which is reversing the western trend resulting from globalization and why this topic is interest to me and the others as well. As one cannot deny that Egypt is witnessing an obvious transformation of the social-culture; a fact which arouses people’s interest to know what some of the causes are leading to this trend. In fact one cannot be separated from what is occurring around us, hints that need to investigate the causes that led to this change.

            The first cause under consideration is the cause that led Sadat to put an end to the Egyptian-Russian alliance which culminated in the building of the high Dam. However, when the Soviet Union was aiming at winning Egypt to the soviet block, Sadat decided to break this alliance.

            The second cause that leads to the social-cultural transformation in Egypt stands from the first cause. When Sadat ousted the soviets, he released the Muslim brothers from prison to fill the vacuum created after ousting the soviets. Worth noting at this point is that the president of Egypt, Gamal Abd El-Nasser, had incarcerated the Muslim brothers who had political ambition. Once he released the Muslim brothers, begin to influence the society by trying to impose a conservative traditional Muslim character on the society.

            In parallel to this trend, many Egyptians resorted to the gulf countries, seeking for better job opportunities at that time the gulf countries as well as Saudi Arabia where in dire need of the Egyptian experts, such as doctors, teachers, and engineers. This made them make attractive efforts to encourage Egyptians to migrate to these countries. Mostly, some are permanently, and others temporarily. Women, who are occupied to their husbands to these countries, adopted the Islamic dress which gradually became their usual dress. This attitude contributed to the wearing of women’s Islamic dress in Egypt. This dress and head-scarf covering women almost entirely. With this return, the veil was becoming more and more widespread.

            This new trend characterized by religiosity, gradually divided public space. Veiled women were restricted from having a presence in certain places. Veiled women could not have a presence in male dominated societies in the recreational places, such as, discos, beaches, and pools. This is how gender segregation began to be felt more and more. In other words the headscarf (Hijab) and the Islamic dress excluded some categories of women in public spaces.

            The paper will investigate this issue in order to know how this new trend segregated women in recreational areas, and some public places. Some women claim that the Islamic dress gives them safety and reduces risks. Given the fact that women will be looked upon as being religious and less likely to be harmed.

The public space and gender is an issue which many believe that it is the place which should be available to all people regardless gender or class as being a democratic right. Women’s access to public spaces should be a right to be claimed. Hence, women should be ready to engage in risks rather than a claim for safety or protection. Women access to public spaces requires women’s respectable appearance in the way they are dressed or their self-confidence.

            Women’s access to public space should not be by providing safety, but the right to take risks. Consequently, wherever Women are included in public spaces, there are always risks which they have to take. Women victims are often blamed rather than the assaulters, and this explains why most of assaulters attempt to harass women. Furthermore, Women are blamed because of social thoughts, such as blaming women for being available in public space at certain hours. Thus, people have to change their mentality of certain thought and ideas. In addition, women accept taking the risks rather than losing their reputations.

            Women can fight this certain situation with an attitude of self confidence, proper behaviors, and respectability of clothing. Women should be able to show regularity to formal norms. Women presence in public spaces should be illegitimate right and women should never fear their claim to public spaces. Moreover, women should be willing to face risks rather than to expect more protectionism.

In Egypt, the definition about public spaces can be differentiated because in Egypt there are restricts on people. For instance, people pay fees to enter public places. Another good example which is raised nowadays is that there are places where men are not allowed to enter if they have beard, specifically long ones. People consider this an act of affiliation to certain groups. Although it is a personal choice, the public consider it an unacceptable act, whereby, people create a kind of terrifying the society.

In John R. Bowen’s book entitled, “Why the French Don’t Like Headscarves: Islam, the State, and Public Space.”, he states that the headscarf issue raised a controversial debate. The headscarf issue originated since there are schools which are adhered to the importance of religion and its values, whereas the public has a conflicting opinion about the headscarf. The French government makes efforts to differentiate between the national security or the world’s political view towards headscarves and the Islamic culture.

In my opinion, many thinks that girls or women cannot take off or wear their headscarves due to the Islamic legitimacy or “Sharia”, however, it is women’s choice ,nowadays, whether they want to wear headscarves or not. Thus, it is considered a personal choice, and it women cannot prevented from taking their own choices since they do not affect the surrounding people or society.