UMW Abroad

Today when I went to a rooftop cafe at one of the hotels in Zamalek, an Egyptian girl came up to me warmly exclaiming, “Hey! Do you remember me?” After a second I recognized her; she was the Egyptian girl that I had met in the Chicago airport on the way here. We had spent hours in JFK together since our flight was delayed. I was surprised to see her again. We greeted each other with the double cheek kiss. After chatting for a bit, she made sure I had her number and made me promise to call her sometime to hang out before she went back to her table. It is amazing how friendly and social the people are over here. The physical greetings that they use reinforce this sense of welcome and/or camaraderie.

Egyptians meet and greet people differently than Americans. When I first meet someone, they extend their hand to me and we shake. However, this shake does not involve a firm grip, but rather a limp hand. This felt very weird to me the first few times and I had to loosen my hold on their hand. This handshake seems kind of impersonal and uninterested. I’m not sure why they do it like this. I prefer the second encounter with that person, which is much warmer. The next time I see someone one of two things normally occurs. If I’m meeting with a female, we will usually do a cheek touch/kiss to both cheeks. This is very warm and welcoming. If I’m meeting with a male or sometimes a female then we will slap our hands together, like a casual, non-celebratory high five. I like this best since it’s fun and it feels like we’re buddies on some sort of team.

I think these greetings are some things that I will miss when I return to the states since they give off such a feeling of closeness and acceptance, even when I do not know people well.

One of the first things that surprised me when I arrived to Egypt was the large amount of stores, advertisements, and labels that were in English, or even better, English words spelled in the Arabic script. For example there is a clothing store in Zamalek called “For You” with the name in both English and in the Arabic script. It looks like ” فور يو”, but is pronounced only slightly different than the English as “Foor You”. I prefer the shops that have both English and Arabic names that are slightly different since they are more intriguing. There is a store labled as”Electric Shop” in English but the Arabic is “بيت النور”. This literally translates into “House of the Light”.

Along the expressways and sidewalks, there are ads for razors, clothes, food, appliances, and more all  in English.

As I would read these English signs, I would always wonder why they would name and advertise themselves in English. Given the low literacy rate in Egypt and that only the wealthy know English well, the advertisers are obviously targeting a narrow and well-off demographic. This did not seem like such a good idea to me at first, because they are excluding a whole bunch of potential consumers. However, now that I think of it more, it makes sense. English gives the brand or company more prestige, which means that it would probably be more expensive to begin. Only people that are wealthy enough to know English would be able to afford the product. In addition, the people that cannot understand English can still recognize the product and  buy the product in the store if they so desire. They may not be able to understand the packaging, but if it is something simple, everyday object they do not really need read anything to begin with.

Yesterday in my Third World Development class, we discussed this issue for a few minutes. The professor confirmed by beliefs that the companies are trying to attract customers that know English. However, there is a slight contradiction to this. One of my Egyptian classmates told us that when she went to buy an album yesterday for a popular Egyptian singer, all of the album work was all in English and when it did use Arabic words, they were transliterated into the Roman script. She was very shocked at this since the people most likely to buy and listen to the album are Arabic and probably do not know English. This is really unfortunate because a large number of the singers fans will be unable to appreciate their favorite music. We also got around to talking about the significance of the use of English and how it reinforces a belief that the native Egyptian/Arabic culture is somehow inferior to American/English culture. However, one thing that Egyptians are proud of is that they have never adopted the language of any colonizers, like the Ottoman Turks, French, and British, but have stuck with Arabic. At one point in Tahrir Square there were many business that had French signs. There were a groups of conservative Egyptians that saw this language as a threat to their culture and oppressive so they burned numerous French-named shops, whether or not they were owned by French or other Arabs. I was shocked when I heard this, though I shouldn’t have been. Language is tightly intertwined with identity.It can be used as a tool of oppression or empowerment, manipulating people’s perceptions of their self-worth.

The Egyptians loyalty to their language differentiates them from places like Algeria and Morocco where French is very prevalent and some people only speak it to put on airs. I have noticed that when possible, Egyptians will speak Arabic. All the students that I have met here so far speak English wonderfully and many have an extensive and complex vocabulary. Even though they can easily hold conversations in English, they will speak in Arabic amongst themselves. I found this a bit surprising since I will often attempt to speak Spanish with my Spanish-speaking friends for fun or practice.

However, when Egyptians know English and are speaking to Americans they speak English. This is frustrating for me and others trying to develop Arabic language skills. One of my American friends here was complaining to her Egyptian cousin about this. She told him that whenever she tries to speak in Arabic to people here they respond to her in English even when she could understand the Arabic reply. He told her that even if people know you can understand Arabic, they will want to speak with you in English in order to show off their  knowledge and, more importantly, to boost their status in our eyes.

The use and perception of English is mixed. English is a symbol of prestige, to be desired, but at the same time this prestige results in the diminished worth of Arabic. While people use English to show-off, advertise prestigious goods, or seek better economic opportunities, when it comes to friends, family, and daily life Arabic is the language to use.

In response to a comment about the inspiration for the AUC’s campus, comparing AUC’s new campus to the city of Cairo, as well as analyzing UMW in a similar fashion, I bring you the following.

AUC Campus Inspiration

The new campus reflects a modern, artistic twist on traditional Islamic and Arabic designs. I think that the architects wanted to use traditional Arabic features in order to celebrate their artistic and cultural heritage. At the same time, all the buildings are very extravagant and modern, showing how Egyptians can be prosperous in the present without needing to give up their pride in the past.

The AUC new campus is unlike the rest of Cairo. Traditional features, which were once common in old medinas (cities) are rarely found in the Cairene neighborhoods outside of mosques, villas, or fancy Egyptian restaurants. It is rare to find a neighborhood that has arabesque inspired buildings with courtyard, arches, and balconies displaying intricate geometrical designs. Normal buildings are plain concrete blocks that care more about housing a large amount of people in an area than aesthetics. However, it is a shame that traditional features have been abandoned since not only were they beautiful, but were well suited to the desert environment. Apparently, many of the Arabic features displayed on campus serve practical purposes of keeping the students cool despite the hot desert sun. According to the architect of the AUC library, Stephen Johnson,”Traditional Arabic mashrabiya [wooden window screens]for privacy and sun-protection, malkafs [wind catchers] on roofs to capture prevailing winds and circulate fresh air into buildings, and shukshaykhas [vented domes] to remove hot air appeared in modern expression at the new campus, too”. Very clever. Also, all the walls are stone at least three feet thick, keeping the buildings insulated and helping the university save energy on AC.

Mashrabiya

There are older parts of Cairo that have a similar layout to New Campus. The seemingly haphazard floor plans for the academic buildings resemble to older areas of Cairo. For example, Khan al-Khalili ( a souq or marketplace in Islamic Cairo), is made up of  a tangle of alleys dotted with courtyards. Getting lost is quite easy.  Similarly, New Campus is not populated by buildings that are single, self-contained blocks with one straight corridor running down its length, but instead buildings are a compilation of several courtyard conjoined with one another, sometimes at weird angles.

However, this layout is quite different than modern Cairo. Cairo is a massive city and all the areas that I know, Zamalek and Downtown, display a lot of European influence. Zamalek is home to many European-style palaces alongside plain apartment/business buildings. Meanwhile, downtown Cairo has a stronger European flair. It  has widened boulevards and streets that were constructed in the late 19th century at the request of Ismail the Magnificent, who wanted the area to resemble Europe, Paris in particular.The buildings themselves look as though they have been transplanted from France ages ago and have been given some time to weather. There are no buildings on new campus that have even the slightest hint of Parisian flair to them. In addition, the Parisian influence has resulted in the use of roundabouts in the downtown.

European Influence Downtown

I think a mixture of roundabouts and a natural growth of the city from its old medina layout has affected the overall street layout of the city. Cairo has some orderly grid-like sections, but they tend to spiral out from various points like spider webs. American cities in comparison are much to simple. They follow a boring, though practical, grid-like framework. If you compare the street maps of Cairo with that of Fredericksburg (Below), you can see what I’m talking about.

Cairo, Egypt

Fredericksburg, VA

UMW’s campus reflects this orderly American layout. Most of the buildings are simple rectangles with a corridor running down its length. The only variations to this are the rotundas inside of Trinkle and Jepson, but the hall ways of these buildings follow the same idea of the rest of the buildings. The buildings on UMW’s campus are Jeffersonian. UMW is similar to AUC in that its architecture reflects its heritage. Jefferson was a famous Virginian and he represents a commitment to higher learning and knowledge. AUC’s buildings also reflect a commitment to higher learning. For example, “Near the entrance to the campus, architects built a dome modeled after the Great Mosque in Cordoba, Spain. The dome symbolizes the height of intellectual and mathematical achievement in Islamic civilization.”  http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story…). UMW’s buildings are also have a similar architectural style to the older buildings in Fredericksburg that go back to the days of the Revolutionary War with red-bricks and front porches.

UMW’s buildings are also have a similar architectural style to the older buildings in Fredericksburg that go back to the days of the Revolutionary War with red-bricks and front porches.

I’m sure all of you have heard about the Pastor from Florida, Terry Jones, who is planning on burning copies of the Qur’an. I hear that it is all over the news in the States and it is in the news here as well. Wednesday in class, two professors brought it up. One of them was warning us to stay away from places like Al-Azhar Mosque on the 11th since that is a large gathering place and a site where demonstrations in Cairo are most likely to occur. It will be extra busy anyways since the 11th is the second day of Eid al-Fitr, when Muslims are celebrating the end of Ramadan with their family and friends and will be frequenting mosques in larger numbers than usual.

I am personally not worried for my safety, since Egypt is a relatively stable country, but I find it ridiculous that some small church in Florida has the potential to put not only my well-being and safety at risk, but those of everyone else living, studying, or traveling abroad in places where a few could use this instance as an excuse to violently express their beliefs. Not once have I felt ill at ease for being an American here, though I will avoid areas that may be considered “unsafe” since I have no way to tell what people’s reaction here will be if the Qur’an burning goes through. I do expect people to feel sadness and anger. This is entirely understandable and I am united with them in these two emotions as well as frustration.

I am tired of America failing to live up to its ideal and values. Even though I am glad that President Obama, Secretary of State Hilary Clinton, and numerous other people from the government, religious organizations, students, and non-profits have all condemned the actions the Florida church is about to take, there are still too many people that believe the burning of a holy book is just act and in the demonization of Muslims. Pastor Jones justified his plan to the AP by saying, “How much do we back down? How many times do we back down?”… “Instead of us backing down, maybe it’s to time to stand up. Maybe it’s time to send a message to radical Islam that we will not tolerate their behavior.”

How does the burning of the Qur’an equate to “standing up” against radical Islam? It just represents a hatred and misunderstanding of the contents of the Qur’an and what it calls its followers to do. The Qur’an is not a symbol of radical Islam, but a holy book used by 1,571,198,000 people around the world (22.9% of the world population). By focusing his attack on the Qur’an and not on a symbol that is unique to radicals, he is alienating a huge community of the world that just wants to live in peace. If he really wanted to counter radical Islam, then the Pastor should do some research into why radical Islam has taken hold and how the Qur’an has been crudely twisted to support actions of terror and destruction by leaders discontented with the status quo. They have used religion to justify and fortify their ideological beliefs and political agendas. One of the best ways to confront radical Islam is to show support and compassion to the average Muslim and provide Muslim communities with the opportunities and resources necessary to create environments that do not inspire individuals to turn to extremism to find the solutions to their problems.

Times are changing in the U.S. and the world. The economy has been sluggish, Americans are worried about their decline in global power, and they are fearful that in a few decades the America they grew up with and love will have an entirely different face. These current times are not unique, as our history tells us. I was always surprised as a child when I learned about all the difficulties African American faced when fighting for their rights in the 60s, the discrimination that the Japanese faced and their internment during World War Two, and all the other civil rights movements that minorities had to trudge through in order to be considered “non-threatening” and allocated the respect they deserve as U.S. citizens. All these movements seemed needlessly painful, full of fear and hate. While I do not believe that Muslim Americans face nearly the same degree of discrimination as former minority groups and are fortunate in having the backing of the government, it is shameful that they should be confronting any sort of animosity from their fellow citizens. Situations regarding Muslims are blown entirely out of proportion, they are looked at suspiciously in the airports, and people wonder how the hijab can signify anything other than the restriction of women’s rights.

I hope that sooner rather than later we will be able to embrace diversity within and without our borders, not just idealize them. Speak up, take action, and make American ideals a reality.

Ma’a Salaam.

Peace.

Here are some pictures of AUC Campus. When I am there, I feel as though I am walking in an art museum. All the buildings are beautiful and unique.

AUC Library