Activist holding up sign at anti-sexual harassment protest in Cairo. It reads, "Don't get yourself insulted because you harass a girl."

I volunteered with an independently organized initiative by Egyptians—holding up signs with statements against sexual harassment. There were roughly thirty volunteers, both women, (some in hijabs) alongside men standing on a street in Doqqi (Gameat al-Dowal), Cairo, forming a human chain. This street was chosen due to the large number of incidences that occur in the area. Some of our signs said, “I want to walk on the street without hearing words that hurt me,” and “I’d like to ride a bike without getting harassed.” Speaking to a fellow male protestor to the right of me, he said, “This is a new thing for us. We can see how actions like this can create change.”

There were mixed reactions from passing vehicles—mostly positive. There were some “thumbs up” and positive nods from passing drivers, including taxi and bus drivers, even though some may stereotype against them. There were drivers who asked which political party we supported, even though this issue has nothing to do with politics. Another driver yelled to a male protester, “Go home and study.” Another male driver claimed that harassment happens because of the way women dress. Aside from the negative comments, it was encouraging to see men on motorbikes saying, “alkalam sah.” (What you said is right.)

The aim of this event was to address sexual harassment on the streets of Cairo, and have people discussing this. There were a few confrontations including one I had with a man, who said, “This is Egypt!” I told him, I’m from New York and this also happens there, so it is not a matter of where you are and therefore, one can excuse it.  Another comment made was how you can never end it.  BUT, you can lessen the number of cases that occur.  Sexual harassment is not an inherent trait to people (they are not born with this trait)–people learn it and see how socially acceptable it is–through media, by people not speaking out against it and a lack of education (i.e. some people don’t think saying/whispering things to girls is harassment).  Sexual harassment is a problem on multiple levels—there’s no single way of tackling this, but initiatives like these are important to have people realizing that our voices will not be silenced.

A response to Mona’s article: “Why do they hate us?”

It’s not a matter of “Arab men hate Arab women,” but analyzing the socio-political-historical factors that have led to oppressive regimes against women.  It is not an inherent problem to the Middle East, because you have such cases all over the world, where women are denied from participating in government, or having full access to the public sphere.  The “us vs. them” is all too familiar in Nawal el Saadawi’s approach in talking about gender issues, where once again, international audiences can re-confirm their assumptions that “Arab men are oppressing Arab women.”

Mona Eltahawy’s article describes instances of where women are oppressed in the Middle East, and need to fight back against Arab men, but what about the power dynamics of the state vs. the people?  It is not just a matter of women being second-class citizens within their own countries, but anyone that does not have “wasta” (connections to the politically elite), who are from the lower classes, migrant workers, etc. are oppressed.  Secondly, not all Arab countries are the same.  Each country has it’s own history; where women in Morocco are treated differently than women in Tunisia, who are treated differently than in Egypt and Lebanon, etc.  Mona seems to categorize this issue as all Arab women are dealing with the same issues, and need to progress in the same way.  We are left with the solution that “Arab women need to fight against Arab men,” but leaves out how the state, in various contexts has treated women throughout history.  Mona’s article presents this issue as it has always existed throughout time and is a one-dimensional problem (Arab men hate Arab women).  How can one generalize an entire gender?  In Egypt, women’s dress was less conservative in the 1930’s and 1970’s compared to now.  Women’s status/treatment changes overtime, and not in a linear structure.

So Mona should have asked how are societies able to oppress women in various contexts?  It’s not that Arab men hate Arab women, but how the state is able to oppress various groups of people.  It’s not inherent to a certain culture or religion, but has more to do with politics than anything else.

An alternative to the Cairo Opera House dress code

Two nights ago, my male Egyptian friend was denied entry to the Cairo Opera House on account of he was wearing a tee shirt with trousers and shoes.  We asked the man working by the entrance where the dress code policy was stated and later discovered that it is written in Arabic only.  Observing the attire worn by both men and women that evening, the dress code was far more strict on men than women. Men are required to wear “jackets and ties,” while nothing further is stated for women’s attire.  Some men who had worn suits, who forgot to wear ties were told to pick up a spare tie, provided by the Opera House itself.  Meanwhile, women were allowed to enter wearing whatever they pleased, but no one said anything to these women. I saw women in jeans, sneakers, tank-tops and tee shirts enter the Opera House.  Perhaps there should be a clearer stated policy that does not single out men, and “requests” all their guests to adhere to a genderless dress code policy.  Otherwise, we can have plenty of men who can show up in “jackets and ties,” but with shorts and flip-flops and women in less formal clothing.

It’s been a year since the Egyptian revolution commenced last year on January 25th 2011.  I was Facebook chatting with a close Egyptian friend–until several hours later, Al Jazeera reported about protests in Egypt, with goals of overthrowing Mubarak.  A few days later as the protests gained momentum, the government shut down the internet to prevent people from organizing.  My friends from Egypt on Facebook–disappeared.  How could this have happened?  I was glued to Ayman Mohyeldin and other Al Jazeera reporter’s live reporting from Cairo.  I was constantly checking Facebook for any updates of what was going on in Tahrir, but still nothing.  My study abroad friends from Cairo and I kept each other up to date vis-a-vis Al Jazeera when we didn’t have access to the internet (i.e. when some of my friends were in class).  Our hearts were in Tahrir and we prayed for the best.

February 11- (18 days later) Mubarak was forced to step down–victory!  Revolution completed? Not at all.  There is still a long way to go.—-

I am fortunate to be back in Egypt to see the country through these political changes.  It is amazing to see how Egyptians have changed history and inspired the world.  Since I returned to Cairo in August, I have spoken to Egyptians and heard all sides of political debates about the revolution.  Regardless of who believes what, I hope the next steps forward are positive and that the new Parliament in session keeps the sacrifices made since last year in mind and heart as they work for a better Egypt.  Too many people have sacrificed their lives in the hopes of creating positive change–no one sacrifices their safety and lives for nothing.

——–

AUC’s Public Safety Notice sent out today, January 24th, 2012-

Dear Members of the AUC Community,

Large gatherings are anticipated tomorrow, Wednesday January 25^th, 2012, in Tahrir Square. The current  security assessments indicate that the gatherings will be peaceful and that we will have normal operation on Thursday January 26^th, 2012, but there is always a risk of localized unrest.

Large gatherings might take place in other major squares in Cairo and other cities such as and not limited to Alexandria and Suez.

Several parties, groups and activists are organizing marches from various areas to Tahrir Square at 12:00 pm as follows:

·         El Horaya Sq. in Maadi

·         Nahia in Giza

·         Imbaba in Giza and this will pass by Mostafa Mahmoud Mosque in Mohandeseen.

·         El Istiqamah Mosque in Giza Sq

·         Shoubra

The following advice can help keep you safe and secure:

1.      Exercise caution when passing by government buildings, police stations and military barracks.

2.      Treat members of the security forces you encounter with patience and respect, and follow all instructions promptly.

3.      Carry photographic identification and a mobile phone.

4.      Remain alert to the possibility of road blockage in different areas.

5.      Get familiar with escape routes in case of emergency situation.

6.      As a reminder, please ensure that you have an adequate supply of food, water and cash in your home in the event that services are interrupted.

7.      Keep updated on the situation by following media reports.

8.      If you have not registered with the AUC Emergency Communication system yet, please do by visiting: http://myinfo.aucegypt.edu/

9.   Please note that you may access the list of the police patrol emergency numbers by visiting:www.aucegypt.edu/Pages/EmergencyComm.aspx

10.      If you are occasionally trapped in the crowd you are reminded to:

·        Not panic, keep calm.

·        Make yourself aware of your surroundings and mentally notice alternate exits.

·       If you find yourself in the middle of a moving crowd, do not fight against the pressure, and try to take advantage of any space that may open up to move sideways to the crowd movement where the flow is weaker.

·     If you fall and cannot get up, try to keep moving by crawling in the same direction. If it’s not possible, cover your head with your arms and curl up into the fetal position.

·    The worst scenario is to be pushed by the crowd against an immovable object, try to stay away from walls, fences or barricades, as the crowd pressure can build up rapidly.

AUC will continue to provide you with regular reliable information through e-mail, SMS and on the university Website at www.aucegypt.edu.

Kind regards,

EMT

Are women in leadership positions environmentally friendly, anti-corruption, anti-war and pro-all things that are “good?”  If female candidates are considered, they are usually judged more harshly compared to their male counterparts.  Take U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor who was scrutinized for her statement about being able to make certain gender and racial rulings (read: is she “white-man” enough to make certain verdicts).  And when women are in leadership positions, it is assumed that all women will fight for women’s issues, be inherently opposed to corruption or harming the environment or more dangerously, have the power to “change society.”  Yet, setting quotes for women to be part of committees or within government so women can have seats on the table does not translate into influential power or voting for “the good things.”  Questions such as what are her qualifications, what are her positions on key issues, and what power does she currently have should be asked of all candidates.  Female candidates need to be valued for their qualifications and merit, while still recognizing the challenges some women face with underdeveloped support networks.

Women in decision-making committees

The question of what it means for women to be empowered needs to be asked.  Will giving women seats within decision-making committees change gender dynamics and affect change?  It is assumed that women will “bring overlooked matters of societal importance into policy making” and will “change the quality of public life.”  Take the example of 66^thU.S. Secretary of State Condaleeza Rice who supported the 2003 US invasion of Iraq (definitely does not fit the model of women being “anti-war”).

In rural South Africa, women in water sanitation committees expressed how decision-making abilities are “severely impacted by gender relations…even with a tertiary education, women view themselves as inferior to men” and men make the final decision.  Alternatively, if men are migrant workers, women make decisions “based on what their men would have wanted—instead of themselves.”  This does fit the model of women supporting women’s issues.

Implementing quotas for women’s participation in institutions overlooks challenges that prevent women from having real voices. Structural constraints that some women face include where “their resource endowments for public life—their education, spare time, employment, income and connections—[being] lower than those of men.” Women just do not have the same powerful support networks that men established long ago with their “boy’s clubs.”

In the new Egyptian law, it states that each proportional list must have one woman.  Some of these female candidates have been listed on lower ranks or completely omitted when they rightfully deserved to be named on the top of these lists, given their expertise and long-time standing with politics.  Despite defeat in the parliamentary elections in Egypt, Gameela Ismail addressed the challenges faced running as a female candidate, stating in her blog that female candidates are subjected to “social prejudice, a lack of party support and funding.”  Gameela says women, alongside men were at the forefront during the protests in Tahrir.  Women, like men also sacrificed their lives to pave the road for a better Egypt.  With this law of female representation, it either forces women to be part of the elections or marginalizes them in a systematic approach of “one woman” per list.  Female participation in government needs to be natural, with no structural barriers that prevent them from participating in all manners and need not be judge vis-à-vis gender markers.

Tunisia has put up more female candidates than Egypt, but can we analyze that society is less sexist?  We have to look at these two countries based on their socio-historical contexts and not assume that because there are more female candidates and members in government, there is more gender equality. Quota Project, maps out how many women around the world participate in government and whether there is reserved seating, voluntary quotas, etc.  It goes beyond how many females are participating in government, but asking questions like how much power do they hold to create effective change for women and are they working for “women’s issues” (whatever those may be)?  In a discussion with Martina Rieker, Director of the Institute for Gender and Women’s Studies at the American University in Cairo, she discussed how everyone has certain agendas (most of the women in European governments belong to the far right).  People forget to analyze what relationships they have with their constituents and disregard asking questions such as who are these female candidates, how do they create their own political power networks, what community debates are they involved in and what changes have they made in society.  Martina stated, “If you look at the number of women in politics, we need to ask what differences have they made, has it changed anything?”  Gender markers do not determine what differences women make.  To put it simply, there should be less emphasis on “women candidates,” but qualified candidates who happen to be women.

Quotas that do open doors for women

Farah Pandith, United States Department of State Special Representative to Muslim communities around the world stated, “Quota systems can open doors for women in politics that would otherwise be closed, and we see that very specifically in countries such as Rwanda, where changes have taken place as a result of a quota system.”  Nonetheless, Farah elaborated how it is up to each country to decide how to integrate women into government and decision-making opportunities.  Farah attributed her professional successes to both men and women providing her with opportunities, and stated how progress for women’s participation in leadership positions “cannot be a fight that women undertake alone; this is a community fight that we work together to make our society stronger.”

Francine Rosado-Cruz, Diversity & Inclusion professional with 18 years of experience working in the corporate world, analyzed data from Scandinavian countries, which shows how quotas that have been in practice longer “have indeed increased the representation of females.”  Francine further elaborated how “the focus should be on creating a more inclusive workplace culture where everyone can succeed.  Shifting corporate culture is no easy task, and requires time.”

Muna AbuSulayman, Board Member of Glowork, which promotes jobs for women in Saudi Arabia, believes that quotas are “extremely effective especially in countries where female public decision participation is not very common.”  However, Muna stipulated how such a practice should not be implemented indefinitely.  When quota systems are in practice for a certain time period, it gives “time for society to learn what it means to have women in those positions, and also for women to develop the right programs and networks to help themselves get elected.”

Challenges- Seeing Women as a Unified Group

Women are positioned as one homogeneous group with common problems and goals.  This negatively impacts any progress for women’s equality, because not only do women have to fight for their representation and accessibility, but they have to work harder proving that all women’s problems are not all women’s problems.  A “one-size fits all” approach leaves the socio-historical  context out of what various women need.  Using quota systems as a “magic bullet” to include women in governments, corporations or organization allows these entities to check off the box that they have included women’s perspectives into their agendas.  Even though I state women as a collective here,  I must clarify that any approaches to achieving gender equality must be analyzed in isolation, even if a quota-system works in some limited manner, it must not be implemented in a “add women and stir” manner.

Article originally published for Elan Magazine- http://elanthemag.com/women-in-power-whats-wrong-with-the-add-women-and-stir-approach/ 

When I first arrived to Cairo, people asked me if I could see any changes, post-revolution.  All I could answer was “no, I don’t see any visible changes, except a lot of revolution street art and people being more open about talking politics.”  But, even these things existed before the revolution in a lesser capacity.  However, yesterday I realized there are no real changes vis-a-vis this revolution except that Mubarak is gone (though his people and supporters are still here) and the Muslim Brotherhood is allowed to run for seats under their official name.

The protestors did not just one day decide they will go to Tahrir because they want to end corruption, create jobs, establish freedoms and justice, etc.  They have always felt this way.  These demands were not born on January  25th; protestors took the opportunity to put an end to Mubarak’s regime beginning that day.  The success of the revolution depends on the majority of people believing in justice and freedom and changing their institutions–without violence.

Last night, I went to a local market with my friends and asked a young, female Egyptian seller what she thought about the Egyptian woman who was stripped and beaten in Tahrir just two days ago by the military police.  She told us that she deserved it because she had no business going there.  Wow, she just slapped me in my face.  How can she believe that it was “her fault” because she is a “bad girl?”  This is similar to blaming a rape victim, instead of the rapist.  Why is it that we must find how who and what type of person he or she is before saying is such treatment is justified?  If she is a prostitute or a “bad girl,” then it is okay for a woman to be beaten until unconscious?  Or if she is not a virgin, it is okay to sexually assault or rape her.   The virginity tests last March showed how some people justified sexually violating women if they are not virgins.

I do not care if she is a “good” or “bad” girl; no one deserves such inhumane treatment.  Why must there be a reason to act humanely or inhumanely? The bewab (doorman) of my building said that she should not have beaten like that because since “maybe her husband needed to work and she went to replace the man at Tahrir.”  When did protesting against injustice and freedom become a “man’s thing?”  And why do we need to profile women to justify what treatment they should get?  (It sounds odd to say, but thank God she was wearing a hijab, otherwise, it would have been “justified” to beat her.)  And if we want to use the “modesty argument,” are not women here supposed to be “protected” especially if they are wearing hijab?  So what is the reason for why she was stripped and beaten until unconscious?  Was she threatening the military’s “power?”  An Egyptian male argued how we do not know why the military beat her and gave the excuse that maybe she was burning and destroying buildings.  He claimed, if men and women deserve equal rights, then she was beaten how men have been beaten.  If she was a so-called “criminal,” you can arrest her and put her on trial.  This is all part of justice.  But no, the military police do not care about justice or treating women with the respect and rights they deserve, especially when they and their supporters are the very people who use religion to argue women must cover to protect their “modesty.”  That was some protection.  It is ironic that the State and supporters of this violence against women believe that the State will protect “women” when clearly, that is not happening.

Back to change.  Nothing will change in this country if the majority of people continue to blame the victim.  Nothing will change if people profile women as “bad or good girls” to justify what treatment they deserve.  This is not justice.  An Egyptian male talked about how there are “foreign elements” that are ruining any progress this country is making.  There are no “foreign elements” except the military police that are acting like the real thugs.  The military police justifies their abuse of power by arguing they are securing the country and protecting the people from thugs (who are burning and destroying buildings).  I agree that violence is not the solution to any problem.  SCAF is practicing brutal violence against innocent people and it must be ended.  And people need to stop making excuses so that responsibility falls on “outside elements,” but acknowledge that maybe there is something very wrong with the country’s military police that needs to be addressed.

Change will not happen now or in a few years.  Change will not happen through institutions or political systems.  Change will happen when there is a change in people’s mind-sets.

Link to video of woman in Tahrir being beaten by military police on December 17, 2011. http://youtu.be/4iboFV-yeTE

I’m off to Cairo in a week and will be returning after 15 months since I ended my study abroad program at the American University in Cairo in May 2010. Since my return to the U.S., I’ve embarked on an internship with an NGO in Washington D.C. for summer of 2010, returned to Dickinson College to finish my B.A. in Middle East Studies and began working with Pearson Inc. (the parent-company of the Financial Times, Pearson Education and Penguin Publishing) as a Diversity Communications Specialist for Diversity and Inclusion. My last day of work will be on Friday and will be flying out Monday. Working for Pearson has allowed me to think about diversity and inclusion in a more structured more way, especially since we should be thinking about diversity and inclusion in our day-to-day lives and not just at work. But sometimes, to have people thinking about topic of diversity and inclusion, it needs to begin somewhere. I hope to take the knowledge I’ve gained while working for Diversity and Inclusion with me to Cairo, as I begin my Master’s in Gender and Women’s Studies in hopes to always work for diversity and inclusion.

Gender equality is a topic that I hope to gain perspective through the people of Egypt. I’ve come to learn how people think about gender issues in the U.S. (from the student perspective and NGO perspective to the corporate perspective). It is important to frame a discourse through the perspective of who is discussing it. The “people” of anywhere is quite diverse and we cannot generalize the “people” of any group. It doesn’t work in schools, it doesn’t work in religions and it doesn’t work in corporations.

I will also be beginning my research as a Fulbright student on the topic of sexual harassment in Cairo. It’s important to say that I must remain an activist through research only. I want to learn about how women’s rights organizations are fighting against sexual harassment and building coalitions with community members. I am excited to see the changes that have taken place since the Egyptian Revolution. I’ve read blogposts about how the spirit of those who participated in Tahrir was left there. I certainly hope that is not the case. What has taken place in Egypt has inspired those around the world. But any change must be dealt with diligence so that it is sustainable. It is also not just about protesting in the streets, but undertaking responsibilities required for a sustainable change.

Beginning with two Kashmiri-American brothers, Mubashir (guitarist/songwriter) and Mohsin Mohi-ud-Din (drummer) and later being joined by Greg Eckleman on the bass, form Zerobridge, an alternative/rock band.  They began playing in New York City’s East Village and have taken the opportunity to bring their rock and roll style to the Muslim world and help Muslim disadvantaged youth along the way.

Having no idea what the audience’s responses would be outside the United States, they were amazed to find themselves being invited to play in rural areas of Morocco and Malaysia.  Mohsin received a Fulbright to do music, film and photography workshops with the youth in Morocco.  While in Morocco, he was able to get the American Embassy to sponsor the entire band to play in 6 cities in 7 days, with a gig playing in front of 5,000 people.  Mohsin told Elan Magazine, “That tour was extraordinary and it never got the attention it deserved in America where most bands are full of themselves.” Mubashir said touring in Morocco gave the band a plethora of inspiration because the youth provided much needed untapped creative energy.  With Moroccan youth, Mohsin produced several songs as well as created seventeen short films with street kids themselves, addressing local Moroccan youth issues such as poverty, hunger and drug abuse.  (Watch a YouTube video about the project here.)  Mubashir said that there are not any programs or encouragement for the youth in Morocco for self-expression.  Nonetheless, Zerobridge may have shown the youth that through art and music can facilitate a future of hope and empowerment.

Zerobridge was invited by the Islamic Economic Conference to play in Malaysia, doing six shows outside the conference.  They were invited to a gig at an underground punk show in Kuala Lampur with a sign at the entrance stating, “No shoes, no drugs, no sex.”  Asked later about the no sex, the kid replied, “Well, maybe a little sex.”  The youth are ordinary, but have been forced to take their talent underground because of the lack of encouragement from society.  Zerobridge hopes to see rock and roll music come out of the sand and onto the streets with platforms for youth to express themselves.

Zerobridge has been able to tap into the music culture in the Muslim world and show them that you can be Muslim and still rock and roll.  With receptive audiences in Morocco and Malaysia, Zerobridge hopes to expand their tours across the Muslim world.  Their goals include being recognized in the “cannon of greats” in the rock and roll music industry.  Zerobridge is releasing their fourth album in fall 2011, being produced by JP Bowersock (who also was the Strokes guru/producer and guitarist for Julian Casablancas and Ryan Adams).

Access Mohsin’s blog about his experiences in the Muslim world here:http://dangerville.wordpress.com/

Article originally posted for Elan Magazine- http://elanthemag.com/zerobridge/

The youth are gravitating towards hip-hop in a more effervescent way than ever.  Not only is rap being used as an art form to express the youth’s opinions about political issues, but as a medium to promote positive change.  Some countries are so threatened by this powerful instrument of self-expression that they have banned hip-hop concerts.  The hip-hop genre has also done something that hasn’t been seen before, which is transcend the generational gap, unlike before where only the youth were listening to rappers share their lyrics.

Neda Samarst, who has years of experience in the entertainment and music industry with a focus and expertise in Hip Hop, the Middle East and its youth culture, delves deeper into the emergence of hip-hop in the Middle Eastern world and says we must understand the cultural differences in youth expressing themselves.  Neda says because “unlike Western cultures who freely express themselves and discuss their personal problems and struggles, the Middle East is more conservative and discussing personal or society’s problems in a song, which can be seen as ‘airing your laundry to strangers or outsiders’ which some judge as a weakness rather than an advancement.”  Nonetheless, Middle Eastern hip-hop artists are singing about social issues and encouraging youth to take responsibility in changing their communities in a positive way.

Offendum

Omar Offendum is a rising Syrian-American rapper who grew up in Washington D.C. listening to all the mainstream hip-hop artists.  From the second to twelfth grade, Offendum was exposed to Arabic and Islamic studies at the Islamic Saudi Academy in Virginia in addition to the local Fairfax County curriculum, taught in English.  He began experimenting with hip-hop and intertwining Arabic poetry in his music when he enrolled in the University of Virginia.  His muses include Edward Said, who has influenced his navigation of the American-Arab identity and Nizar Qabbani, a prominent Syrian poet whom Offendum has translated poetry from Arabic into English in one of his songs.  Offendum says this invites the older generation to his music as well as introduces the younger generations to words they would otherwise never hear.

The messages Offendum hopes to get across through his music are ones that promote unity, understanding and positivity.  Offendum desires his music to incite fearlessness in tackling important issues that may seem challenging.  While Offendum does not want to be recognized as a Muslim rapper but a rapper who happens to be Muslim, he says his music is for people across the world, regardless of any religious background.

Asked about a song meaningful to Offenfum, he responds with “The Straight Street,” named after one of the oldest streets in the world in Damascus.  The message is simply about following the middle road, while meeting and sharing experiences with people of different backgrounds.  His latest solo album, “SyrianamericA” includes a song with poetry by Langston Hughes, translated into formal Arabic, so the older generation can also appreciate the lyrics.  Offendum mentions that Arab rap is not just about politics, but “legitimate grievances and growing up in everyday life that is just as important.”

YAS

YAS, an Iranian rapper that sings in Persian, is the first-ever hip-hop artist to have been granted by the Iranian government to create and publicize his music to the general public.  Hip-hop music first intrigued him when YAS’s father would bring him albums from artists such as Tupac.  YAS tells Elan Magazine, as he translated Tupac’s lyrics, he “realized he was saying something different from the rest.”  This empowered YAS to rap about struggles he faced in his own culture and sing about personal pains growing up as the head of the household as soon as his father passed away.

YAS’s musical career officially began after the 2003 earthquake in Iran that took away 50,000 lives.  YAS produced the song, “Bam” which was recorded with a former school friend, Mita who was interested in producing music.  Together, in Mita’s house, they recorded the song on an old, beat-up headset that was used for chatting on the computer.  Even though the quality was not great, YAS remembers seeing tears roll down people’s faces as they heard his song.  Once seeing the impact his music had on others, he realized that music is what he wanted to do.

Yet, rap music was not prevalent or widely accepted in Iran and took some time before the genre became more popular and more of Iran’s societies started to embrace the culture.  YAS gives insight to why people may not have supporting his music or hip hop in general highlighting that there were not many people rapping and he “couldn’t really blame them either because they had no familiarity to the genre.”  Currently, his music is uniting people with fans in the U.S., Russia, Europe, Asia and across the Middle East.  How do people unite through music?  YAS says it’s through “understanding each other’s struggles and recognizing our similarities and common goals in life.”

Challenges

Government censorship- Since music can be a powerful tool in galvanizing support from the youth, some countries require approval before you can host your own hip-hop concert.  Neda says music in Iran has to pass government censors and if the artist does not have approval from the officials for his lyrics, he may not perform live.

What challenge does this propose? Many of the big-name artists cannot perform in countries such as Iran, and end up doing concerts in the UAE.  For instance, Snoop Dogg did his gig in Abu Dhabi and Usher was in Dubai.  So music makers cannot always go in places such as Iran or where the fans want them as governments deny them entry.

Female rappers- Neda points out more female rappers also need to enter the hip-hop music industry especially since “women play an extremely important role in the Middle Eastern societies.”  Neda says she is not referring to “emulating those female rappers around the world that use their sexuality to get themselves heard, I am referring to the artists who have the power to make a difference and help bring more exposure and show the true strength and potential of the Middle Eastern woman.”  There are some women in the industry, but not nearly the same number of men.

Piracy- Americans went through the phases of Napster and finding alternative ways of downloading illegal music and music artists have continued to suffer the most from this.  We know the consequences of getting caught and many have faced charges for it, but active anti-piracy law and enforcement does not necessarily exist in the Middle East.  It is relatively easy to download music without paying anything for it.  This has devastating consequences for artists in the Middle East, especially when the markets are new and producing music and videos are not necessarily cheap.  Neda says, “We should depend on our own ethics and morals to do the right thing even if the laws have not caught up yet.  Please spend that $1 – $10 and don’t just be proud of their work but play an active role in their success as well.”

Article originally published for Elan Magazine- http://elanthemag.com/hip-hop-transforming-muslim-communities-around-the-globe/

With no alias, he goes by his real name, Adil Omar, simply because he says he already has a unique name and there is no need for a gimmick for people to remember it.  Adil is Pakistani born and raised who comes from parents that could not really be there for him growing up.  Adil lost his father to alcoholism and his mother suffers from amnesia.  Shortly after, Adil could not focus in his studies and was kicked out of school by fourteen.  These events pushed him towards writing that he felt was the only way he could express himself and overcome isolation. Adil says turning to writing lyrics was the only outlet that was his therapy.

By age eight, Adil was exposed to rappers such as Tupac, Method Man, Redman and Wu-Tang Clan.  After B-Real of Cypress Hill discovered the unusual talents of Adil, he became fortunate to work with names such as Xzibit, Kool G Rap and Everlast, House of Pain and Psycho Realm.  This is when people started taking this hip-hop newbie more seriously.  With his discovery, Adil has been able to learn from these stars “from just being around them and watching them work.”

Adil points out that the majority of Pakistani society may not appreciate hip-hop or rap music, because it is still a new genre in this part of the world.  Becoming a rap artist is also an unusual career path for the majority of Pakistanis, however, once he was approached by B-Real of Cypress Hill, that is when people around him started to realize music making does not just have to be a hobby.  Hip-hop music in Pakistan is an untapped market in Pakistan and has the potential to become a catalyst for empowerment for many of the youth in the region.

Though Adil comes from a conservative society, he says that he does not associate himself with religion because music goes beyond any “racial, nationalistic and religious boundaries.”  The music he makes is where youth can share similar experiences with one another even if the music is not political; “the whole rebellious energy is something a lot of kids could relate to.”

In Adil’s latest music video, “Off the Handle” featuring Xzibit, he wears a traditional Pakistani shalwar kameez commenting that when he is outside Pakistan, he sometimes feels the need to “represent his people from back home,” but was really just having fun as well.  In another video that received much accolade from audiences in both Pakistan and India as well as in America, “Incredible” features him in a Pakistani truck.  Adil says, “People in the West don’t know what to make of it, they’ve seen nothing like it, and people in Pakistan and India are going nuts about it, they love it.”

Adil hopes to get involved with film in the next few years after the release of his debut album.

Adil’s debut album “The Mushroom Cloud Effect” is releasing in 2012, which features Xzibit, B-Real of Cypress Hill, Everlast, Kool G Rap, DJ Lethal of Limp Bizkit and others.  Be sure to watch out for it!

Article originally published for Elan Magazine- http://elanthemag.com/rising-hip-hop-star-from-pakistan-adil-omar/