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Be urself, No matter what they say.

Posts: 310 | From: Cairo, Egypt | Registered: Jan 2003  |  IP: Logged | 

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quote:

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Originally posted by Organized Crime:
Now this is the juicy snippet I found this weekend. Somehow I feel the refugee situation has exasperated the color/race issue in Cairo.

This is long and difficult to digest, but its best to start chewing on it now. Its like petrified red meat.

From the book Cairo: City of Sand by Maria Golia

pg.127

called Caucasian type generally associated with foreigners and upper-crust Egyptians. Some Cairenes may recall that several centuries of their city's history belonged to the original Caucasians, the ones from the Caucasus (Circassian Mamlucks and Turks of Circassian extraction), whose features include light skin and light-colored eyes. Whether associated consciously or not wih the old ruling class, there is a marked preference for so-called Causcasian attributes. Many young brunettes lighten their hair; a larger number regularly endure the ordeal of straightening it. Middle and upper-class girls can purchase disposable coloured contact lenses at any number of pharmacies.

portray, it is unlikely that an inferiority complex is the cause for them. As a theory explaining social ills, the khawagaa complex merely substitutes psychological barriers for quantifiable, and actionable, constriants.

The term 'imperialist oppressor' (which barely had time to fall into disuse before its unfortunate post 9/11 revival), however vehementally employed, nearly always hides a grudging esteem. No matter how hypocritical or manacing first world nations maybe, htye have cities with proper schools and parks, and governments who serve the people at least once in a while. Likewise with regards to the strangers in their midst, the wealthy Egyptians, no matter how pretentious, the fact that they travel and that their children are healthy and well-educated does not escape the average Cairene's notice. Interest in the perennial other, whether foreign by birth or lifestyle, is a mtter of self-appraisal and definition, a weighing of pros and cons, a granting of concessions to reality. The Cairene conceit, arrived at through comparison, is a practical one. 'We're better people, but they're better off.'

The official attitude is less frank. However avid for the percieved benefits of capitalism, accommodating to foreign interests on economic issues, or suspectible to foreign models of so-called modern life, the line of demarcation between 'us' and 'them' is conspicuously drawn in laws relating to marriage. Women who eschew teir compatriots as spouses were once obliged to relinquish their nationality. While that is no longer the case, they still cannot pass Egyptian citizenship onto their children. Although born and raised in Egypt, children of foreign fathers will always be treated as outsiders by a vindictive bureaucracy as punishment for their mothers' lack of discriminiation.

By contrast, when an Egyptian man marries a foreign women, the latter is typically granted an Egyptian passport (having supplied the requisite ream of paperwork) within a year or two of request, suggesting tht feelings for foreigners cut both ways. Many Egyptians describe local feelings towards foreigners as envy's admixiture of lvoe and hate, and the contigent desire to emulate and absorb the other. We'll absorb you gladly, is the message sent to the foreign lady, because you've shown such fine judgement in choosing us.

The impulse to emulate foreigners is evident in popular perceptions of beauty. Far from idealizing the attractions of the dark-eyed and honey-hued, favour attaches to the so-called Caucasian type generally associated with foreigners and upper-crust Egyptians. Some Cairenes may recall that several centuries of their city's history belonged to the original Caucasians, the ones from the Caucasus (Circassian Mamlucks and Turks of Circassian extraction), whose features include light skin and light-colored eyes. Whether associated consciously or not wih the old ruling class, there is a marked preference for so-called Causcasian attributes. Many young brunettes lighten their hair; a larger number regularly endure the ordeal of straightening it. Middle and upper-class girls can purchase disposable coloured contact lenses at any number of pharmacies.

Light skin is unabashedly marketed; billboards for Fair and Lovely, The World's Number One Fairness Cream dot the city. Television commercials for the same product feature high school girls about to audition for the play Kais and Leila, a romance from classical Arab literature. The class vedette wants to the lead role, but her schoolmates warn her that Leila was 'beautiful' whereas she is 'dark'. The girl hastens to buy bleaching cream and, several timelapsed shades paler, gets teh aprt and appreciative looks from her make classmates.

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quote:

---

Originally posted by Organized Crime:
Now this is the juicy snippet I found this weekend. Somehow I feel the refugee situation has exasperated the color/race issue in Cairo.

This is long and difficult to digest, but its best to start chewing on it now. Its like petrified red meat.

From the book Cairo: City of Sand by Maria Golia

pg.127

Underlying these interactions, however fleet or superficial, are sinous currents or feeling, but how mcuh does the average Cairnene really care about foreigners? Probably nowhere near as mcuh as foreigners devel on Egyptians' preceptions of them. It is both foreign residents and upper-class Egyptians who postulate the khawagaa complex (foreigner complex) they attribute to Egypt at large. The khawagaa complex is theoretically provoked by peoples' insecurities regarding the west and its intentions, and a lack of confidence because of substandard education, a slow economy and rhetorical democracy. The khawagaa complex is a kind of post-colonial trauma, a side effect of globalism, that state of everwhelmed resentment at not being able to 'keep up'. While there is truth in these observations with regards to the conditions of life they portray, it is unlikely that an inferiority complex is the cause for them. As a theory explaining social ills, the khawagaa complex merely substitutes psychological barriers for quantifiable, and actionable, constriants.

The term 'imperialist oppressor' (which barely had time to fall into disuse before its unfortunate post 9/11 revival), however vehementally employed, nearly always hides a grudging esteem. No matter how hypocritical or manacing first world nations maybe, htye have cities with proper schools and parks, and governments who serve the people at least once in a while. Likewise with regards to the strangers in their midst, the wealthy Egyptians, no matter how pretentious, the fact that they travel and that their children are healthy and well-educated does not escape the average Cairene's notice. Interest in the perennial other, whether foreign by birth or lifestyle, is a mtter of self-appraisal and definition, a weighing of pros and cons, a granting of concessions to reality. The Cairene conceit, arrived at through comparison, is a practical one. 'We're better people, but they're better off.'

The official attitude is less frank. However avid for the percieved benefits of capitalism, accommodating to foreign interests on economic issues, or suspectible to foreign models of so-called modern life, the line of demarcation between 'us' and 'them' is conspicuously drawn in laws relating to marriage. Women who eschew teir compatriots as spouses were once obliged to relinquish their nationality. While that is no longer the case, they still cannot pass Egyptian citizenship onto their children. Although born and raised in Egypt, children of foreign fathers will always be treated as outsiders by a vindictive bureaucracy as punishment for their mothers' lack of discriminiation.

By contrast, when an Egyptian man marries a foreign women, the latter is typically granted an Egyptian passport (having supplied the requisite ream of paperwork) within a year or two of request, suggesting tht feelings for foreigners cut both ways. Many Egyptians describe local feelings towards foreigners as envy's admixiture of lvoe and hate, and the contigent desire to emulate and absorb the other. We'll absorb you gladly, is the message sent to the foreign lady, because you've shown such fine judgement in choosing us.

The impulse to emulate foreigners is evident in popular perceptions of beauty. Far from idealizing the attractions of the dark-eyed and honey-hued, favour attaches to the so-called Caucasian type generally associated with foreigners and upper-crust Egyptians. Some Cairenes may recall that several centuries of their city's history belonged to the original Caucasians, the ones from the Caucasus (Circassian Mamlucks and Turks of Circassian extraction), whose features include light skin and light-colored eyes. Whether associated consciously or not wih the old ruling class, there is a marked preference for so-called Causcasian attributes. Many young brunettes lighten their hair; a larger number regularly endure the ordeal of straightening it. Middle and upper-class girls can purchase disposable coloured contact lenses at any number of pharmacies.

Light skin is unabashedly marketed; billboards for Fair and Lovely, The World's Number One Fairness Cream dot the city. Television commercials for the same product feature high school girls about to audition for the play Kais and Leila, a romance from classical Arab literature. The class vedette wants to the lead role, but her schoolmates warn her that Leila was 'beautiful' whereas she is 'dark'. The girl hastens to buy bleaching cream and, several timelapsed shades paler, gets teh aprt and appreciative looks from her make classmates.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Organized Crime:
Now this is the juicy snippet I found this weekend. Somehow I feel the refugee situation has exasperated the color/race issue in Cairo.

This is long and difficult to digest, but its best to start chewing on it now. Its like petrified red meat.

From the book Cairo: City of Sand by Maria Golia

pg.127

Underlying these interactions, however fleet or superficial, are sinous currents or feeling, but how mcuh does the average Cairnene really care about foreigners? Probably nowhere near as mcuh as foreigners devel on Egyptians' preceptions of them. It is both foreign residents and upper-class Egyptians who postulate the khawagaa complex (foreigner complex) they attribute to Egypt at large. The khawagaa complex is theoretically provoked by peoples' insecurities regarding the west and its intentions, and a lack of confidence because of substandard education, a slow economy and rhetorical democracy. The khawagaa complex is a kind of post-colonial trauma, a side effect of globalism, that state of everwhelmed resentment at not being able to 'keep up'. While there is truth in these observations with regards to the conditions of life they portray, it is unlikely that an inferiority complex is the cause for them. As a theory explaining social ills, the khawagaa complex merely substitutes psychological barriers for quantifiable, and actionable, constriants.

The term 'imperialist oppressor' (which barely had time to fall into disuse before its unfortunate post 9/11 revival), however vehementally employed, nearly always hides a grudging esteem. No matter how hypocritical or manacing first world nations maybe, htye have cities with proper schools and parks, and governments who serve the people at least once in a while. Likewise with regards to the strangers in their midst, the wealthy Egyptians, no matter how pretentious, the fact that they travel and that their children are healthy and well-educated does not escape the average Cairene's notice. Interest in the perennial other, whether foreign by birth or lifestyle, is a mtter of self-appraisal and definition, a weighing of pros and cons, a granting of concessions to reality. The Cairene conceit, arrived at through comparison, is a practical one. 'We're better people, but they're better off.'

The official attitude is less frank. However avid for the percieved benefits of capitalism, accommodating to foreign interests on economic issues, or suspectible to foreign models of so-called modern life, the line of demarcation between 'us' and 'them' is conspicuously drawn in laws relating to marriage. Women who eschew teir compatriots as spouses were once obliged to relinquish their nationality. While that is no longer the case, they still cannot pass Egyptian citizenship onto their children. Although born and raised in Egypt, children of foreign fathers will always be treated as outsiders by a vindictive bureaucracy as punishment for their mothers' lack of discriminiation.

By contrast, when an Egyptian man marries a foreign women, the latter is typically granted an Egyptian passport (having supplied the requisite ream of paperwork) within a year or two of request, suggesting tht feelings for foreigners cut both ways. Many Egyptians describe local feelings towards foreigners as envy's admixiture of lvoe and hate, and the contigent desire to emulate and absorb the other. We'll absorb you gladly, is the message sent to the foreign lady, because you've shown such fine judgement in choosing us.

The impulse to emulate foreigners is evident in popular perceptions of beauty. Far from idealizing the attractions of the dark-eyed and honey-hued, favour attaches to the so-called Caucasian type generally associated with foreigners and upper-crust Egyptians. Some Cairenes may recall that several centuries of their city's history belonged to the original Caucasians, the ones from the Caucasus (Circassian Mamlucks and Turks of Circassian extraction), whose features include light skin and light-colored eyes. Whether associated consciously or not wih the old ruling class, there is a marked preference for so-called Causcasian attributes. Many young brunettes lighten their hair; a larger number regularly endure the ordeal of straightening it. Middle and upper-class girls can purchase disposable coloured contact lenses at any number of pharmacies.

Light skin is unabashedly marketed; billboards for Fair and Lovely, The World's Number One Fairness Cream dot the city. Television commercials for the same product feature high school girls about to audition for the play Kais and Leila, a romance from classical Arab literature. The class vedette wants to the lead role, but her schoolmates warn her that Leila was 'beautiful' whereas she is 'dark'. The girl hastens to buy bleaching cream and, several timelapsed shades paler, gets teh aprt and appreciative looks from her make classmates.

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Posts: 18 | Registered: Jun 2003  |  IP: Logged |