Harassment in foreign lands can be a culture

SDJC
By SDJC

Just one kiss, he says, waving five Egyptian pounds at me.

One kiss on the mouth, and he’ll give me the equivalent of a dollar. I am walking through a bazaar bordering the Islamic section of Cairo, Egypt, when I realize that sexual harassment has no limits here.

One says he wants to marry me. Another grabs me by the arm and asks my name. A few simply yell, “China,” and hope I’ll turn around — I’m Asian, but not Chinese.

Harassment in Italy is notorious. But the catcalls I experienced in Venice and Rome pale in comparison to the shockingly sexual statements and shameless groping my roommate and I endured in Egypt.

check the link below.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/travel/rss/6269434.html

By deedee• 26 Feb 2009 14:57
deedee

I went to Egypt this past Christmas. I am blond and petite. No one harrassed me at all. But then again my husband is Huge and menacing looking. HAHA My beautiful blond 17 year old daughter did get a lot of guys trying to talk to her, but she can scare anyone away with just one look.

By britexpat• 26 Feb 2009 14:52
britexpat

I got harrassed too.. Lots of bottom pinching and lewd remarks.. and that was just at the airport..

By anonymous• 26 Feb 2009 14:52
anonymous

When I visited Egypt in 2004, I was harassed by every shopkeeper in the market; they keep grabbing my hands and pulling me inside. I end up hiding my hands inside my pants pocket, it felt funny but after awhile they let me alone.

By Architect.J• 26 Feb 2009 14:51
Rating: 4/5
Architect.J

a few of the comments in the comments section of that article is interesting

---Life is Fragile, Handle with Prayer---

By tallg• 26 Feb 2009 14:21
tallg

You should try going with my ginger haired, freckly wife! You wouldn't believe the unwanted attention she attracted in Egypt.

Most of it was bloody annoying, but one funny incident was when the driver we hired one day put her on the phone to a friend of his, and after several minutes of confused conversation we eventually realised that this guy was a doctor who claimed he could get rid of her freckles!

By LeighLee• 26 Feb 2009 14:17
Rating: 4/5
LeighLee

But Alexa very good friends of mine lived 11 years in Sharm and they could tell me stories of a lot of ladies that went to Sharm purely for the attention. So you right about that part but it is really irretating if you walk down a street and a 1000 pairs of eyes is watching every move.

By tallg• 26 Feb 2009 12:09
tallg

No worries SDJC. Perhaps it would have been useful to mention your reason in the actual post.

If you search QL for "Egypt" you'll find lots of descriptions of how bad the harassment is. I've never experienced worse.

By SDJC• 26 Feb 2009 12:05
SDJC

i posted this just to see if it is true or not, based on member's experince coz i noticed a lot of people in qatar go to egypt..sry if i disturbed anyone here..

By tallg• 26 Feb 2009 11:12
tallg

I said MY INSTINCT is that is goes against the guidelines. Perhaps that's just the cynic in me.

By Oryx• 26 Feb 2009 11:11
Oryx

Harrassment isn't 'cultural' - it isn't inherent in Egyptians.

the degree to which it is tolerated is representative of a society that doesn't protect or respect members of society.

I have been to Egypt twice... I didn't get bothered much but my blonde blue eyed boyfriend at the time got harrassed without mercy...it was relentless....

He ate an ice cream in the street and I have never seen so many excited men in my life.

By Winn• 26 Feb 2009 11:06
Winn

Tallg: "the reason for posting it does go against the QL guidelines." and what would that be,lemme guess...start a good old fashioned mud-slingin match.LOL...I can see what you mean! But still I guess its all abt how ppl 'might' respond.

Din notice it wasnt the person's experience, clicked on the link only after posting the reply.

By Gypsy• 26 Feb 2009 10:55
Gypsy

Just for money UKEng. :)

By tallg• 26 Feb 2009 10:53
Rating: 4/5
tallg

Winn - not at all, but this isn't SDJC's experience, he's just copy and pasted. And yes, I know lots of us copy and paste news stories on to QL, but I don't understand the motives behind this one and my first instinct is that the reason for posting it does go against the QL guidelines.

By GodFather.• 26 Feb 2009 10:48
GodFather.

Yep maybe that was the safety for you Gypsy.. but did he get harrassed I mean you boy friend?...lol

-----------------

HE WHO DARES WINS

By Gypsy• 26 Feb 2009 10:32
Gypsy

I didn't have too bad an experience in Egypt actually, at least from the point of view of sexual harrassment (harrassment for money yes, but not the sexual kind). But I was with my boyfriend.

Gotta ask the same as Tallg though, why are you posting this?

By Winn• 26 Feb 2009 10:32
Winn

Tallg: should we start verifying the reasons behind every post? Couldnt we just accept that someone wants to share an experience ? If one doesnt like it, hez free to ignore it. As long as it isnt against the guidelines of the site, I guess its fine...just my 2 dirhams. :-)

By tallg• 26 Feb 2009 10:14
tallg

It's true that Egypt is probably the worst place in the world for being harassed, but what are your reasons for posting this?

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