Dress codes come in all different shapes and sizes: some are strict and rigid, backed up by local laws or the rules of an establishment; others are more cultural ‘suggestions’ backed up by the frowns (and likely harassment) of a certain community. Dress codes serve different purposes: some are meant to unify; some are safety measures; and some are purely moral in nature. The latter is the most difficult to explain, yet it also seems to be the most prevalent, particularly in the Middle East.

Egyptian actress Abeer Sabry, 44, got a little more than she bargained for during a pleasure trip to Dubai a few weeks ago when she stopped by the super-trendy Sauce women’s boutique to shop. Accompanied by Tunisian actress Feriel Yousef, Abeer used the changing room. When she wanted to try something else on she decided to step out into the store several times in her underwear to find what she wanted. Her actions apparently angered one local Emirati woman, who verbally assaulted Abeer at the register while another person apparently filmed the whole incident:

“I am an Emirati woman, you are in my country, you don’t speak. I am speaking in my country, and you don’t wear that kind of clothing,” the woman apparently tells Abeer in Arabic, adding “It’s okay in your own country if you want.”

Wallah? “You don’t speak” certainly doesn’t allow for peaceful dialogue. I furthermore had to laugh at the “in your own country” comment: women don’t walk around in their underwear in Egypt either. Her use of a bit of English- “Yes this is a dress code and I have the right;” “The other lady you saw what she was wearing right? You saw it?”-is likely because other patrons of the store were not Arab, but I still thought it odd when she might not know whether or not Ms. Sabry speaks English or not.

The video went viral on social media and prompted several news articles in The National, an Emirati newspaper; now it seems as though the Emirati woman who berated the actresses might face legal charges, as it is illegal to film someone in the UAE without their consent. The woman’s argument, that Ms. Sabry was being indecent and that Emirati morals and rules should be followed by foreigners who visit the nation, reminded me of another notorious discussion: that of the hijab and veil in France. Although France has cited other reasons for banning hijab in schools and face-veils in the street, a less-championed (but much more honest and unanimous) opinion among the French is that Islamic headscarves do not belong in French society; they are not a French custom and infringe on the French customs of community and looking into one’s face when you address someone. Tourists are also to comply with the veil laws when they visit France.

***********************************************

As Abeer Sabry was being berated for stepping out in her undies in the UAE, a 12-year old girl named Sarah (not her real name) recently caused an uproar in her little hometown of Charleville-Mezieres, and greater France, when she was berated for her fashion choice, albeit a different one: her skirt. Sarah was banned from school twice in one month by her head teacher who believed that the length and color of her skirt “conspicuously” showed religious affiliation. A hijabi, Sarah dutifully complied with France’s ban on hijabs in school and removed it before the schoolday began. “The girl was not excluded, she was asked to come back with a neutral outfit and it seems her father did not want the student to come back to school,” stated local education official Patrice Dutot.

Sarah has since returned back to her classes, but the incident has once again thrown the veil laws back onto center stage (though in all honesty, they’ve never left). A young girl gets yelled at for wearing a long skirt, while an older woman is critiqued for her lack of clothes (ironically, it’s usually the other way around, with the young girl dressing more ‘immodestly’). Their choices may be superficially different, but the debate is the same: women’s bodies. Women’s fashion choices. Women’s modesty. Cultural traditions. Religious beliefs. Both Abeer and Sarah are victim to the same age-old discussion of policing women’s bodies, one that particularly plagues the Muslim world and Muslim women wherever they travel to across the globe.

There are a few interesting differences, namely the fact that Sarah’s headmaster cited a law that firmly bans conspicuous religious symbols in school. That a skirt could be a religious symbol is ridiculous: plenty of women young and old like to don maxi skirts and dresses, although it is true that they are much more popular among Muslim women. The Emirati accuser could easily have cited the UAE’s modesty laws-although one is allowed to sit on Dubai’s beautiful beaches in a bikini if one wishes-but it would have been the boutique’s discretion on whether or not to call the police; besides, it is a woman’s boutique. And while the UAE’s modesty laws are tied to a millenia of religious and cultural tradition, France’s veil laws-no matter how thinly veiled-are also meant to provide a space of safety and secularism that all can benefit from.

What I found most interesting about Abeer Sabry’s botched shopping trip was the fact that her accuser was a woman, not an old man or the morality police. A woman. A woman who should have sympathized and empathized with her, even if she herself has only worn abaya in public since she hit puberty. A woman who should know better than to bodyshame in the manner that she did, in public, while filming her encounter! Even more appalling was the fact that, unlike the case of Sarah versus her school, which was essentially one of Muslimah versus secular school, the Emirati woman and Abeer Sabry are both Arabs and Muslims (correct me if I’m wrong about Ms. Sabry). This was not the case of a ‘ignorant’ Westerner coming to a Muslim country, or a clash of ‘East versus West.’ Perhaps the Emirati woman would have been more forgiving though if, instead of an Egyptian actress, she had confronted said ignorant Western tourist.

In 2014 around 130 students in France were prevented from attending their classes for their alleged religious attire, according to the Collectif contre l’Islamophobie en France (CCIF), although the CCCIF did not say what type of religious attire it was. France is further considering banning hijabs from universities. The UAE has decided to provide abayas for uncovered citizens and tourists at various places including courtrooms to prevent any immodesty. Both secular France and the Emirati government might think they have nothing in common in regards to the issue of a woman’s dress, but they are in fight both fighting on the same side-albeit for different results-against the same enemy: women.

S-L-M

Sources:

1.  http://www.thenational.ae/uae/courts/appropriate-clothing-for-women-provided-at-dubai-courts
2. http://www.thenational.ae/uae/video-of-actress-in-dubai-mall-dress-code-row-goes-viral
3. http://observers.france24.com/fr/content/20150514-trop-courte-jupe-algerie-montrer-jambes-polemique
4. http://www.onislam.net/english/news/europe/485283-french-muslim-student-kicked-out-for-long-skirt.html
5. http://www.khaleejtimes.com/kt-article-display-1.asp?xfile=data/editorial/2015/May/editorial_May28.xml&section=editorial
6. http://egyptianstreets.com/2015/05/15/saudi-man-banned-from-entering-restaurant-for-wearing-traditional-robe-egypt-apologizes/
7. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/egyptian-streets/kissing-in-egypt-a-crimin_b_7257778.html
8. http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/05/14/UAE-woman-who-shouted-at-actress-in-mall-faces-legal-action-.html

 Lebanese superstar Elissa’s most recent music video is also her most serious: “Ya Merayti” (“My Mirror”) features Elissa as a domestic abuse survivor. Shunning the romantic lovey-dovey storylines popular with Arab music videos the clip, shot on location in Serbia, brings to light a problem that is all too familiar for plenty of Arab women, yet, much like elsewhere in the world, is grossly underreported.

In the Middle East, however, domestic violence is not only underreported, it is also considered somewhat normal. Very few governments in the region contain laws against domestic violence; spousal rape is another issue entirely which has hardly any litigation against it. Finding a charity or non-profit organization that deals with survivors of domestic violence, as well as rape and sexual assault, is next to impossible, at least online anyways. Lebanon is one of the few countries which has visible advocacy against DV: not only has the country taken steps to outlaw domestic violence, it also has several active organizations addressing the issue such as KAFA (“Enough”). Turkey, Egypt, Tunisia and Bahrain have also seen progress in dealing with DV; in May, a landmark court case in Turkey held the former Interior Minister guilty of murdering his wife.

Like women elsewhere in the world, Arab wives don’t report violence at the hands of their husband’s because they are afraid of their spouse; of going to the police; and of what their families and communities are going to say. The shame of reporting such an act would bring great embarrassment to their families.

Many women have no choice but to stay silent for economic reasons: an unskilled housewife with several children cannot easily find a job in a rural town in Egypt or Yemen if she divorces her husband. Divorce itself is often an unthinkable option in itself among communities where divorce is uncommon. A “good wife,” generally speaking, is supposed to serve her husband without questioning his authority or talking back; she is to be seen and not heard.

Yet Elissa’s video is challenging taboos and cultural norms by bringing the issue of domestic violence into the spotlight. And what a reception it has been! The clip, published on May 14th, garnered over 1.5 million views on YouTube in less than a week.  Critical reception has been positive, with many applauding Elissa’s work in spotlighting this pressing issue; even her fellow celebs (and competition), such as singer Maya Diab (who has vigorously promoted the song) have lauded Ya Merayti.

The video is well executed, serious without being overdramatic or cheesy (which, given that it is an Arab music video, it easily could have been). Sure, Elissa looks glamorous (a given for any music video, no matter what the subject matter is); sure, she is a woman of privilege, i.e. she’s not living in a tiny house in a rural village frantically running from one chore to the next while her husband farms. But I kind of like that she portrays a middle-class woman, rather than a stereotypically poor woman: it illustrates the point that domestic abuse occurs in all types of families, not just those who are poor and uneducated.

I do, however, question why she chose to have a sort of retro, 1950s-ish theme, as though DV is a thing of the past, when it most certainly isn’t. Again, housewives are not the only women who experience DV: as the Saudi TV journalist Rania Al-Baz sadly proved, even prolific anchorwomen can be abused by their husbands. For those of you who might not have heard Rania’s story, she was one of the few women news anchors on Saudi TV whose husband, Saudi singer Mohammed Fallata, beat her continuously. In 2004, after he beat her so badly that he thought she was dead, Rania decided to post the photos of her smashed face for the world to see, in the process smashing the taboo that domestic violence could not be talked about, because it was not supposed to exist.

We see Elissa’s character heading into a beauty shop to get concealer for the huge bruises on her face, hiding her eyes with a dark pair of sunglasses when she exits onto the street. She suffers in silence as she serves her husband breakfast, where he is irritable and grumpy. He catches her innocently talking to a male passerby on the street who is kind to her. The abuse scene, where he slaps her several times in the face, leaving her laying on the floor bruised, ends with him slumped and seeming to beg for forgiveness, an all-too-common act among abusers.

At the end of the video, we see Elissa’s character as a successful author who’s written a book about her life story. She’s shown with her children, now older; in fact, the children are Elissa’s real-life daughter and son! The story of Saudi Arabia’s Rania Al-Baz also ended in a similar fashion: after an extensive recovery (Rania’s face only bears slight scars from being broken in 13 places) she not only divorced Fallata, she also managed to gain custody of their two children, which is completely unheard of in Saudi Arabia. Like Elissa’s character, Rania also has written a book about her life.

“My book is about  a women who has suffered. Maybe this woman is watching today; she should know that this isn’t the end. Break your silence, not your reflection in the mirror,” her character says at the end. It’s a great message of hope for women who are suffering domestic violence in silence, wondering if the pain and hurt will ever end. Rather than blame themselves and beat themselves up for their spouse’s abuse, Elissa reminds them to be courageous and write a different ending to their story.

S-L-M

Resources

1. http://ivysays.com/2015/05/25/elissa-falls-victim-to-domestic-violence/

2. http://www.albawaba.com/entertainment/elissas-got-fan-maya-diab-watch-clip-even-has-celebs-talking-697130

3. http://www.theguardian.com/media/2005/oct/05/broadcasting.saudiarabia

4. http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2015/06/turkey-court-makes-landmark-ruling-on-womens-murders.html#

American tabloid magazine US Weekly features a page called “Celebs: Just like Us?” with pictures of celebrities either living the high life or doing shockingly mundane things. Let’s do a Middle East version featuring the region’s superstars.

NOT LIKE US!

They drive a red version of the Batmobile, or at least pretend to. I mean, it kind of looks like Lola’s checking her watch….

They get mobbed while attending movie premieres because they’re hot and famous.

They look fresh-faced and trendy while traveling!! #megaJealous

They drive with their cat on the dashboard (OK, so this is a photo shoot but it’s totally something Myriam would do, since she’s a Crazy Cat Lady like me).

They can afford to pack 11 suitcases, Whereas we have to wear all black, pack one suitcase and call it a day.

They travel by helicopter. Without even a purse or cellphone, because everybody knows who they are and will pay for them.

   They take selfies with their dentists and post them on Instagram. This seems to be a trend in the Arab world, but posing cheesily with my doctor is the last thing I want to do after having him/her poke and prod me.

Their school crowns them Prom Queen (let’s face it, we all wanted to be crowned, even if we pretended not to).

They wear a full face of makeup when jumping out of an airplane. Gotta look good for those selfies!

They carry luggage worth more than my apartment.

They bounce on trampolines with their kids in evening gowns, practically begging for a wardrobe malfunction. BTW, Dominique, isn’t your gown getting dirty??

The pose in bulldozers, because nowhere is off limits if you’re a model. And a blonde.

They get to put their feet on the seats of a private jet, because even while traveling in a private jet they don’t have seatmates.

They get to travel by private jet. And every single picture they post while doing so makes us #megaJealous because it’s just not fair.

They (pretend) to ride motorbikes while in Barbie-pink heels and crop-tops that would certainly cause Lebanese motorists to crash and cause a traffic jam.

They can strike an arabesque pose in 4-inch heels while shaking hands with their (equally talented) dog. Maya is one fit lady!

They post no-makeup selfies and look absolutely effing gorgeous. #LifeIsNotFair

They chill out in birdcages, because regular chairs are too boring.

They wash their own cars in high-heels and make sure that at least two people are taking their photo in the process. A lot of Myriam’s outrageous acts might be staged for photo shoots, but they sure are interesting!

They get carried by a glittery moshpit wherever they go.

Like us!

   They cook ordinary dishes in ordinary kitchens (i.e., kitchens that look like they are actually used, not touched twice a year at holidays).

They walk in their graduation ceremony! Congrats, Klodia!

  They wear the same dresses we own (sometimes!) like this Zuhair Murad for  Mango dress that I bought in….2010.

They stick their tongue out and mug for the camera (I don’t think we play with stuffed animals past the age of 10, though).

They browse book stores. I’d love to know if Pascal actually knows English or she’s just pretending to read an English book!

They take a cooking class so their husbands-to-be don’t grimace at their skills (it’s OK, Shatha, you can just hire a personal chef!)

They do touristy things in their own home country, like playing with the snakes (!) in Marrakesh’s Jemaa al Fnaa souq.

They make sure their daughter’s birthday party is out of this world cool, and that she feels like a princess (Nancy’s relationship with her daughters is just too cute!)

 They shovel dirt (or more to the point enforce child labor to get the job done). Rola is such a good tante, isn’t she?

They go camping in the wilds of Lebanon, because camping is so much better when there aren’t creatures prowling around to eat you!

  They can’t get off their phones while having lunch. C’mon Hind, you’re at Fauchon!

They’re still amazed at the quality (and size!) of Steiff stuffed animals. Which one you gonna choose, Reine?

They party with friends…who just happen to be celebrities too. Hey, birds of a feather flock together!

They like to play tourist and pose next to cool stuff.

They take selfies. Lots of selfies. They can’t stop taking selfies.

They can’t help but take a cruise on the Nile River when they visit Cairo. Hey, there’s a reason why tourists do “touristy” things-they’re fun!

They get overexcited at the thought of eating their birthday cake (in Haifa’s cake, she has not one but TWO birthday cakes!)

They get beauty work done. Because not even celebrities can stop the age process, although Haifa does a damn good job.

They look apprehensive while boarding a roller coaster ride. (Side note: doesn’t Haifa look adorably cute in this pic?!?)

They go for a leisurely stroll on a sunny afternoon.

They smile nervously while waiting in the dentist office, because even being a celebrity doesn’t make going to the dentist any less painful.

They go bowling with their friends for fun (but at least don’t have to wear those dorky shoes like us).
They give back to their communities; after all, there’s only so many galas and movie premieres one can attend….right?

They take the subway! (Side note: I too would love taking the subway if the NYC metro was as clean and pretty as the Dubai metro appears to be!)

They sometimes look like us! Doesn’t Nancy Ajram look sooo much like me in this pic?!? I’m on the right :D

They agree to babysit and then shake their head in wonder.

They take the train and nobody realizes it…because they only take the train in Europe, where nobody knows who they are.

They all whip out their phones to tqke 1001 versions of the same photo, because 1000 photos are never enough. (In fact I did see one thousand and one photos from this Iftar at the Sofitel Casablanca that Shatha hosted).

They can’t have a conversation with their friends who are sitting next to them because they’re too busy texting (note: my Egyptian ex was the KING of doing this).

They bite their thumb and make bitchy  faces at people when asked weird questions (Haifa was on Rating Ramadan here and probably got asked something  dumb).

Like us or not? Your call!

 Buying Crocs is a rather plebian thing to do, but I must insist that I am NOT like Lady Rain because I would never, ever wear Crocs. Nor buy them for someone else.

S-L-M

In the Middle East, Mother’s Day is celebrated on March 21st, not in May as is customary in the United States. As is expected nowadays, Arabs took to social media to praise their mothers including, of course, Arab celebrities. A good many of the Arab female chanteuses I follow on Instagram posted about the special day, many of them including photos of them with their own mothers.

Others took the opportunity to celebrate their own motherhood, posting pics of their adorable kids (observation: a lot of female celebs seem to have daughters who are blonde and blue-eyed, and, might I add, might grow up cuter than their mothers who have had tons of plastic surgery to look that good).

In Arab culture the name of one’s mother is somewhat seen as a “taboo;” women who have sons have the “honor” of being called “Um Mohammed,” “Um Ahmed,” “Um Farid,” um being the word for mother and the male name derived from their firstborn son. A woman who does not have any sons does not get this so-called honor. On Twitter a Youtube video posted by UN Women entitled “Give my Mother back her name” was circulated which shows Arab men being asked their mothers’ name, only to laugh and say that they couldn’t give it. The video is very touching and ends with the question “What’s in a name? Just ask a mother.” Female Twitterers seemed to like the idea, but male users seemed less likely. It is kind of odd that only Arab men were interviewed for the short, as I would have liked to have seen Arab women as well as mother’s reactions to this cultural tradition.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FF4ZslUqgDY

Elsewhere, the Arab media celebrated the day with laughs and good, if snarky, fun: Al-Bawaba website (which is like the Arab version of People magazine) posted a funny article featuring 7 “notorious” Arabs whose mothers are probably ashamed of them, including Syrian president Bashar Al-Assad and Jihadi John as well as Lebanese porn star Mia. Another article also on the same website played on the “Yo Mama!” jokes popular in the USA by creating “Yo Arab Mama” jokes, which were admittedly much more nicer and tame than American jokes, since insulting one’s mother, a bad idea in any culture, is sure to get one kicked in the derriere in the Middle East. I’ll end with my own lame Arab Mama jokes, based off my past experience with (not-so-friendly) Arab mothers.

“Yo Mama wants to post pictures of your newborn to Facebook before you even get the chance to” (an experience I overheard)

“Yo Mama like a hawk, she’ll ask you twenty times why you’re not finishing your plate, eating disorders be damned” (true story)

“Forget slippers: Yo Arab Mama so badass she takes out a pin and pokes you if you do something bad” (true story; I felt like crying along with the little kid when it happened)

S-L-M

Sources

1. http://www.albawaba.com/editorchoice/mothers-day-uae%E2%80%99s-sheikha-fatima-honored-%E2%80%98mother-arabs%E2%80%99-671742

2. http://www.albawaba.com/slideshow/yo-arab-mama-isprobably-gonna-feel-funny-after-reading-these-mom-jokes-happy-mothers-day-6

3. http://www.albawaba.com/slideshow/7-notorious-arabs-whose-mothers-should-be-disappointed-them-671142

4. Instagram

5. http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Lebanon-News/2015/Mar-21/291688-lebanese-officials-mark-mothers-day-with-tributes.ashx

The celebration of Easter is one of hope, a proof of God’s greatness on Earth: like the springtime flowers blooming after a long winter, Easter celebrates rebirth. I personally have always felt uncomfortable and uneasy with the Easter holiday, given that Good Friday marks the death of Jesus; even if he rose three days later, ultimately he was taken from the Earth, a sign of mankind’s cruelness towards one another. A sign of religious persecution. As Christians in the Middle East continue to face persecution, violence and exodus it seems unlikely that salvation will come to their doorsteps, but perhaps it is time to look optimistically at the Middle East, even if that seems like an impossibility.

Ahead of the holidays already there seems to be a tiny bit of hope in the Middle East, although not of a religious nature: Iran has conceded to a deal over stopping its nuclear ambitions, in return for the lifting of damaging economic sanctions. As Iranians took to the streets to celebrate, I ask if the long-negotiated and difficult peace deal between Iran and world governments (lead by the United States, of course) could possibly serve as inspiration for finally settling the Palestine Question. Probably not, since Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is positively seething with the good news, but it proves that cooperation is possible after all.

Quelling the Islamic State/Dae’esh is another issue of an entirely religious nature (superficially, anyway) that could do with some serious negotiating and discussion instead of fighting and airstrikes. As the region’s Christians prepare to celebrate Easter (The Coptic and Orthodox Easter Sunday actually falls on April 12th this year, a week after Catholic and Protestant churches observe the holiday) the need for peace and salvation has never been more strong, particularly in Syria and Iraq, ancient home to the world’s early Christians.“During Holy Week, which is now close, these families are sharing with Christ the unjust violence of which they are victims, and participating in the pain of the same Christ,” a statement from the Vatican reads; Pope Francis sent a personal envoy to Iraq to bring hope and faith and, apparently, special “Colomba cake” which is in the shape of a dove. How can the families who remain celebrate the holy month at all when Da’esh is patrolling around? I must admit that I am surprised that Cardinal Filoni trekked to the country during such unsafe times, although Baghdad (where he stayed during his trip) is safe compared to the historically religious and important Nineveh plains. His trip also included a stop in Amman, Jordan, where he visited Iraqi Christians living in refugee camps.

Elsewhere in the Middle East, Easter celebrations are a less-hidden affair, with Lebanese celebrities readying for the holidays (interestingly, many seem to follow the Western dates and not Eastern dates). Some singers, such as Lebanon’s Elissa, Myriam Fares and Marwa as well as Morocco’s Jannat Mahid are giving Easter concerts. Muslims and Christians alike dye easter eggs, and local bakeries and candy shops decorate their shop windows with tasty treats to rival those in France. One difference this year is that baby chicks dyed pastel colors will not be available for sale in Beirut. The mayor has put a stop to this local practice which has been decried by animal rights activists in recent years.

In addition to Easter (most Egyptians follow the Coptic calendar), Egyptians of all religious backgrounds will be celebrating Sham El-Nasim (Inhaling the breeze, literally), an ancient Egyptian holiday dating back to 2700 B.C. which marks the arrival of spring. Music festivals (usually ‘alternative’ music such as house music) will mark the occassion in several beachside resorts, some with camping! Despite the hardline Islam which has grown ever so more popular in recent history, Egyptians (and Iranians, whose Nowruz festival is quite similar) still hold on to this incredibly old tradition, celebrating spring and its rebirth with picnics outside with their families. How can one argue with celebrating such a peaceful holiday which unites all humankind?

“How much longer must the Middle East suffer from the lack of peace? We must not resign ourselves to conflicts as if change were not possible!” Pope Francis wrote in his Christmas 2014 letter to the Middle East. Indeed, I think a little hope and faith needs to be injected into international politics.

Happy Easter!

(fiṣḥ sa’īd) فصح سعيد

Christ has risen (el maseeh qam) المسيح قام

 S-L-M

Sources

1. http://www.theguardian.com/education/2015/apr/01/easter-could-give-pupils-window-of-opportunity-to-flee-uk-to-join-isis

2. http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/32/97/99499/Folk/Street-Smart/A-very-ancient-Egyptian-Easter-Sham-ElNasim.aspx

3. http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/a-sweet-sign-of-hope-popes-envoy-returns-to-iraq-with-easter-cake-65935/

4. http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/en-route-to-iraq-cardinal-filoni-visits-refugees-in-jordan

5. http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/christians-in-syria-react-to-jubilee-year-of-mercy

6. http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/127074.aspx

 Arab Business released its 100 Arabs Under 40 list, which included a few entertainers and beauty icons in addition to superachievers in business, science and technology. Congrats Nancy Ajram (#19) for being the highest performer/culture icon on the list! Also congrats to Sherine Abdel Wahdy (#84), Tima Shomali (#88), Diala Makki (#89), Huda Kattan (#94) and Myriam Fares (#99).

Trends of the week: denim; black abayas; kindergarden-inspired ensembles and Dominique Hourani.

Myriam Fares pre-performance in Kuwait

Queen of the Stage indeed. Myriam is beyond perfect and I love the attached hood.

Myriam Fares performing in Egypt

Myriam’s crop top is composed of hundreds of tiny Evil Eyes, and this look is guaranteed to have all eyes glued to her. She looks like an Arab 70s mermaid (those are bellbottoms, FYI).

Haifa Wehbe in Egypt 

Haifa also embraced the 70s with these fabulous boho pants, although I don’t think any freewheeling 70s chick could have afforded any of the individual pieces she’s wearing. Trust MJK to be decked out completely in international designer duds.

Rafeaa Al Hajsi in Dubai

 Black abayas were popular this week, but few ladies seemed to know how to style them properly besides mega-stunning Rafeea. I mean, seriously, how hard can it be? It’s black, it’s flowy: how can you get it wrong? Rafeaa draped her abaya over an exquisitely ruched dress and proved that even abayas can be sexy. 

 Dana Wolley in New York City, USA 

  Such an enchanting look. The star on the dress completely makes the outfit. Dana might be searching for a wedding dress, but I’d be happy enough to wear that if I were her.

Nancy Ajram performing in Cairo 

Super “Vixen” Nancy! I love it when the musicians wear dresses they can actually move in (see Shaza’s look from last week). This is the bad-gal version of Nancy, and I love it.

Ola Farahat in Dubai

Pretty in pastels, and perfectly appropriate for meeting your in-laws, going to work or attending a garden tea party, although I doubt Ola’s doing any of those.

Mahtab Jamali in Dubai, UAE

So freaking chic it hurts. Mahtab (who designs Katayoon London) was one of the first accounts I ever followed on Instagram, and I have continously been blown away by how chic and unbelievably gorgeous she is. (BTW, that man candy is Dana Mashalahpoor, an Iranian male model!)

Hadia Ghaleb in Egypt 

 Hadia decided to have an impromptu fashion shoot alongside a highway, obviously because her outfit is so freaking fabulous (although I am resolutely against peep-toe shoes). If I were the driver of that truck I’d honk (even though that is so rude and sexist) because I LOVE that shirt and spring cape.

Alanoud Badr in Dubai 

 Alanoud thankfully is NOT having an impromptu roadside fashion shoot, because a million truck drivers would definitely be honking at her in this sexy look! That skirt is so cool, the sandals look great with her tan and she looks smoking.

Layla Hadioui in Marrakesh, Morocco

A modern take on the Moroccan caftan. I’m loving the sheer sleeves and sequined outerskirt. I just discovered Leila, so congrats lady for instantly making it onto my Fashion Radar!

Joelle Mardinian in Dubai

Badass 80s Madonna. That teeshirt says “Selfmade,” which definitely describes Joelle’s insane work ethic. It’s a little too costumey-was she heading to an 80s party?-but I applaud her risk taking.

Tima Shomali in New York

OK, this dress is admittedly on the plain side. But I wasn’t aware of Tima until I read about her in the 100 Arabs under 40 article, and I’m impressed she’s here in NYC for this Women in the World Summit! She looks event-appropriate and excited to be here.

Layla Abboud in Geneva, Switzerland 

High-voltage designer. You can’t look at Layal without being blown away by the opulence of the look. Lucky she’s in Zurich where everyone’s wealthy or else she might get robbed. But what I’m dying to know: is it really that cold still in Zurich that it requires a coat that heavy, or is Layal just using the opportunity to wear her coat one more time before spring is fully sprung?

Mimi Le Blanc in Paris, France

Finally, an Emilio Pucci dress with pizzazz! Mimi shows up last week’s Pucci fans Haifa Wehbe and Shayma Helal by choosing the design house’s signature bright prints, and it’s divine. I’m also in love with the unusual color of the sunglasses and purse.

Alanoud Badr in Dubai, UAE

Ugh I wanted this H&M jacket so bad, but it turns out it’s also over $100, which is too ridiculous for a fast-fashion brand. Lady Fozaza doesn’t have to worry about prices like I do but she created a great look out of several pedestrian brands, giving us pedestrians some hope at looking stylish! Also, she appears to have jumped on the tchitchdoll bandwagon.

Sofia Al-Asfoor in Doha, Qatar Again with the 70s boho-pants trend, updated in black and white. That gorgeous handbag is part of Sofia’s eponymous label, which she needs to start selling stateside immediately, even though I don’t have thousands of dollars to spend on a bag so I don’t care if she does or not. *le sigh*

Sheida in Dubai, UAE 

Kooky elegance is how I’d describe this. Sheida actually pulls off those cat-eye glasses, and that Mickey Mouse-print shirt looks like she unearthed it from 90s mom’s closet, but she totally took it in a different direction with the Valentino pumps that every.single.rich.person has (but former 90s mom who frequented Disney World probably doesn’t).

Haifa Wehbe in Egypt

 Haifa looks more ready to meet the Queen than the MJK that she is: this dress is elegant and fairly modest, but also fairly boring. She looks flawless as always, but come on, where’s the drama?

Hind Bahraini performing in Qatar

Hind is the Female Tin Man. This literally looks like a dress made out of tin foil, albeit girly pink tin foil. What’s even more strange is that I actually am drawn to the dress, despite generally disliking the color pink, 50s housedress shapes and material that looks as shiny as tinfoil.

Sherine in Egypt

This dress looks a bit too heavy for Spring, like Sherine was just too excited to wait ’til Fall to wear it so she threw it on. She certainly is glowing, but that’s (likely) because she just got named one of the Top 100 Arabs under 40. So, in conclusion, Sherine can wear whatever she damn wants!

Huda Kattan in London, UK

 Huda is the World’s Top Beauty blogger, so she doesn’t post too many photos of her outfits. Apparently being in London and being named one of the 100 Arabs under 40 inspired her to shoot below the neck. I like the skirt, but the top isn’t anything remarkable, and I’m not sure why she paired that sparkly necklace with such a zany print.

Shatha Sabt in Doha, Qatar

  Only Gulf girls seemed to know how to wear their black abayas (see the bad Lebanese versions below). Shatha looks supremely elegant and regal and I love it.

Alice Abd AlAziz in Lebanon 

 This Sister looks like she’s headed to Coachella, not strolling down a Beirut street in spring! Then again, she probably hopped out just to take the pic :P I personally would rock this look during the summer but I think those batshit crazy sunglasses are just too out there for my liking.

Roz  in Petsmart, USA

This is what a model looks like when she goes shopping for dog food. Roz looks a frosted pink snowcone, and I know I shouldn’t like this outfit on a grown woman, but she looks so cute. I also want to kidnap her adorable Pomeranians.

Rolla Safa in Lebanon 

 Like Alanoud, Rolla also chose a statement-print skirt, this one with the Mona Lisa dressed up as….er, I can’t tell, but she’s got a flower wreath and a pink wig on. It’s an interesting design, and while Rolla attempts to play it down with a button down and plain pumps, I think she should have played it up.

Amal Maher in Egypt

Stare into my pants: you’re getting sleepy, aren’t you? Amal’s got her Plan B ready in case people don’t want to buy her upcoming album: simply hypnotize them!

Diana Karazon and Rafeea Alhajsi in Dubai, UAE

Diana and Rafeea agree to take on the black-and-white trend, with Rafeea winning the competition hands-down (sorry Diana, but you can’t compete with a supermodel). Both ladies look elegant, but Diana’s huge pumps are terrible and I can’t discern whether she’s wearing a necklace or her shirt has an embellishment along the neckline.

Hind Bahraini Performing in Qatar 

Another performance, another dress made of crazy stiff material for Hind. I think those shoes are unnecessary, but her dress looks like the night sky, so she gets a pass.

Dominique Hourani in Dubai, UAE

….And this is what Dominique wears when she actually buys or, um, wins (?) a Nissan car. That crop top looks a bit dangerously high, and she looks like she’s the bride at an extremely casual wedding.

Diala Makki in Dubai

Diala has a thing for wearing short Herve Leger dresses, but she should have left this one on the rack: that is one seriously hideous dress. The only reason this doesn’t scream Epic-Windstorm-Disaster is because Diala is beautiful. But I expect better from one of the 100 Arabs Under 40!

Dominique Hourani in Dubai

A 90s teenager might have worn this dress to her friend’s Sweet Sixteen. Dominique, however, wears it while pretending to snack on Proteinworld Shakes. Times have changed.

Dominique Hourani with Suzy Matar of Dar Layali at her runway show in the UAE 

In all fairness, Dominique was probably not behind this fashion choice, since she was in Dubai for Dar Layali’s fashion show (that’s the designer Suzy Matar next to her). I don’t hate it, but I don’t remotely like it (except for the color).

Elissa on the season premiere of the X Factor in Dubai

The X Factor Arabia is probably going to be as big of a snooze this season as it was in the past, if Elissa’s dress is any indication. I like the bodice, but the bottom is just unappealing, and did she need to wear black tights?

Diana Karazon in Dubai, UAE

 Take it down a notch, Diana. Tired of wearing black-and-white, Diana threw on this absolutely insane combination of statement pieces. If she took away those gangsta-wannabe gold necklaces and swapped the hideous platforms for flats this look would be so less outrageous, although the color of that skirt is also an affront to the eyes.

 Rola Saad in Lebanon

Somehow crop tops made it to the Middle East. I still can’t imagine roaming about anywhere in the Middle East in a crop top, although Rola apparently does it with ease. Add about 6 inches to that shirt and this outfit would have been more pleasing.

Dominique Hourani at a children’s Qu’ran reading competition in the UAE

I swear, Dominique dominated the fashion scene this week, and not always in the best of ways (but I love her anyway!) Social media was abuzz over Christian Dominique’s attendance at an Islamic Qu’ran-reading competition, questioning her sincerity since she usually favors “immodest” get-ups. But at least they didn’t question her dress, which was appropriately demure and modest for the event, if a tad ugly.

Dominique Hourani in Dubai, UAE

 Dominique demonstrates for us how one goes wrong with a black abaya with this bathrobe-tie concoction. I think it’s the puffy sleeves that really do this look in, along with those white dots. LOVE her purse though.

Arwa in Beirut, Lebanon

Was Arwa spray-painted into this dress? IDK, it just looks like it’s made out of some shiny waxy material. Really don’t like the print, nor do I approve of that spray-paint make-up job.

Reine Sabty in Lebanon

The other major trend of the week was denim dresses. Yes, you read that right. Reine’s version was the least offensive of the crop, since it kind of just looks like she wore a denim shirt without pants. I should also start a count of how many women wear those Valentino shoes…

Romina Mattar in Lebanon  Denim Disaster #2. I mean, did Romina sew on those patches during her Girl Scout class? Why are these boutiques even selling such ridiculous dresses for grown women?

 Wiam Dahmani at the Hotel La Paloma, Tetouan, Morocco

Speaking of ridiculous, HOW does one wear this to a fashion awards show? How?? Wiam, you and whoever organized the show should be downright ashamed. What about a gorgeous beaded caftan? A sparkly princess gown? Why pompoms, and pearl earrings, and a gold watch that look like they belong to your grandmother? Why??

Donia Samir Ghanem in Dubai, UAE

Elissa’s co-judge also decided to hit the snooze button while choosing her look for the X-Factor season premiere. Actually, Donia’s look is less boring, but decidedly more stupid: she looks like a kindergardner, for crying out loud!

Tala Samman in Dubai, UAE

 S*ce Dubai, a trendy Dubai boutique, is perhaps responsible for the denim disaster trend’s migration to the UAE: they designed a special denim capsule collection. Tala may have a cute smile and even cuter flats, but nothing can save this awful dress.

Paola Elsitt in Beirut, Lebanon

Denim Disaster #4: From the neck up she looks stunning; the rest is so aggressively ugly, I don’t know why she chose this outfit for a business marketing meeting. Actually, I kind of love the shoes, but they didn’t help this look.

Aline Khalaf in Beirut 

The worst of all the denim I saw this week. What is this?? Is Aline a kindergardner who got paint all over herself in art class or a famous musician? I’m starting to think the former, not the latter.

Annabella Hilal in Beirut, Lebanon

Annabella the Clown is here and ready to entertain at Lebanon’s child birthday parties! I think that blazer is really fun, and the jeans are fine, but worn together with those awful shoes and that Tchitchi doll she wore with last week’s outfit, she proves that, off the red carpet at least, she desperately needs a stylist.

Maya Williams In Dubai

 Favorite dress? Who is she kidding? How can you possibly call yourself a fashion blogger and consultant when you choose to wear something as ill-fitting and stupid as this? Sorry Maya, but you look like an overgrown kindergardner who’s obsessed with neon magic markers. 

Arwa in Beirut, Lebanon

Arwa also proves that one can go terribly, terribly wrong with a black abaya. This is a sad, wrinkly, misshapen mess with half-hearted sparkles that no maa3lema on the street would go near. I hope she didn’t wear this out of the house.

Resources:

1. http://www.albawaba.com/entertainment/holy-hourani-think-you-judge-dominique-attending-quran-memorizing-event-683934

2. http://www.arabianbusiness.com/revealed-100-most-powerful-arabs-under-40-589647.html

S-L-M

Controversial Lebanese singer Haifa Wehbe is at it again with her first English-language single Breathing You In, released on April 14th. The accompanying music video, shot by international Palestinian music director Tarik Freitekh (see picture below) in Las Vegas, has predictably taken the Arab world by storm, as all her music videos usually do.

Haifa is the first and only Arab artist to be featured on VEVO, where the video has reached nearly 6 million views. It was also shown on MTV and VH1 here in the USA, another feat for an Arab artist. The single is being marketed under “Haifa,” in what I’d assume is an attempt to either hide her “Arabness” for international audiences or, most likely, an attempt to make her a one-name star abroad as she is in the Middle East. If anyone can break into the international music scene, it’s certainly Haifa Wehbe. As she said once in an interview, “I’m not a singer, I’m an entertainer;” and indeed there are plenty of Arabic female stars who have better voices than Haifa, but as the United States music scene proves, those who are most popular in pop music don’t usually have the best voices, they have the looks, moves and attitudes. Haifa certainly has the looks; she can writhe around enough for a music video; and she definitely has enough sex appeal to put Beyonce and J-Lo to shame. Her so-so voice is actually an advantage for her: EDM (Electronic Dance Music) is all the rage in the USA, and her breathy vocals are perfectly suited for a song with little singing.

Haifa’s not the first Arab star to branch out from singing in Arabic. French has been used by singers such as Asma Lmnawara, Amina Alaoui; Diana Haddad (“La Fiesta”); Amar (“Oh la la”); Cheb Mami (“Non sera non”) and Cheba Maria (“Mon Amour”). Some singers throw a few English lyrics into their songs, such as Brigitte Yaghi in her song “Albi wou omri” and Maya Diab in “Neb2a Sawa.” Haifa even did so on her CD Baby Haifa, where she titled one song “Naughty,” while the song “Baba Fein” features the line “Mama don’t worry” (sung adorably by a little boy). Egyptian-born, American-raised Lara Scandar sings almost exclusively in English (“Mission is You,” “Chains,” “See the Beauty”). Superstar Tamer Hosny has released several songs in English, including “Smile” (with Shaggy); “Bahebek moot” and “Welcome to the Life” (with Akon).

The Arab media and fans are divided over the song and video, with “Haifaholics” (her admirers) posting stills from the video all over social media, drawing their own renditions of Haifa and frantically voting for her in the Big Apple Music Awards (surprisingly this is a Middle East awards show, NOT a New York event, although international artists from the USA to France are also included). Those in the Haifa Haters Camp call the lyrics “pointless,” the outfits inappropriate and the dancing overly-sexual. Personally I am obsessed with the song and video. It is truly on-par with today’s pop videos; director Freitekh did a splendid job with the editing. It’s got a story line (Haifa’s in love with Casper Smart, J-Lo’s ex-boyfriend choreographer who stars in the clip as an astronaut); crazy-cool outfits that no ordinary person could pull off; and great shots of Haifa and her back-up dancers.

The outfits

Haifa first appears in a barn in this relatively simple shorts-and-sneakers combo, proving she can rock everyday clothes just as well as gowns and skintight bodysuits.

The outfit above is only seen once for a few seconds, and I can’t help but wonder if it was someone’s passive-aggressive way of getting back at Haifa, because it’s an ugly outfit and an unflattering shot.

The first of Haifa’s glamorous getups is this white long-sleeved jumpsuit that sparkles. Her red hair really pops against all that white.

My Moroccan friend commented that he thought Haifa looked very vulgar in the video. I don’t agree, but I think this bodysuit would look better without that awful fringe. It’s no more revealing than a bathing suit, though, so I don’t see what the problem is.

Britney Spears in “Toxic” circa 2004? That’s what this sheer jeweled jumpsuit reminds me of. She looks like a misty woodfairy nymph.

Why this stunning dress only appears in two very short frames is a mystery to me as it is so beautiful and dramatic. It also happens to be the same dress Haifa wore to the Cannes film festival last year!

The most angelic she looks in entire video. Again, she looks like a woodland fairy nymph, in all the best popular ways.

The controversy

Laying with a bunch of men in a bed of orchids? Rubbing against two male dancers simultaneously? Allowing herself to be touched by several men in inappropriate places? Social media went wild with Haifa’s suggestive poses and moves. Compared to American music videos, it’s all very tame; Haifa doesn’t even kiss Casper Smart, much less roll around with him in a bed. From a feminist viewpoint, the shots could be construed perhaps as unwanted groping, or even an allusion to gang rape; but I actually see them in a different way: Haifa’s in control. She dances up on them, not the other way around. She pushes the men away, then draws them close. They appear to be admiring her. In all her music videos, Haifa always appears in control; so who are we to deny her of her sexuality by portraying her as the victim, or damning her for it?

I understand that sex is a taboo subject in the Middle East, especially sex outside of marriage. What and what is not socially permissible vis-a-vis relations with the opposite sex varies from country to country, between small village and city, between different levels of society. I have always been surprised that Arabic music videos are as suggestive as they are, with their sexy outfits and moves, given said sexual taboos: what is a guy to think when he watches a Haifa Wehbe or Myriam Fares video on TV, but then expects his sisters/mother/wife to walk around in a hijab or abaya? From one view point, some may simply consider them entertainers that inhabit a world without morals or restrictions, but even if they are allowed to inhabit another “world,” why does a man who disagrees with his wife showing skin or dancing in public think its OK to watch a woman doing that on TV? To some degree, music videos-wherever they are from-rub off on the public conscience. Maybe that’s what Haifa’s critics are afraid of.

I don’t think they have to worry any time soon. And in any case, maybe Haifa will become such an international success with Breathing You In that she won’t have to care what her haters think, much less have time to respond to them!

S-L-M

Resources:

1. http://www.albawaba.com/entertainment/haifa-wehbe-savage-critics-her-breathing-you-music-vid-youre-vulgar-683830

2.http://www.albawaba.com/entertainment/haifa-wehbe-and-casper-smart-look-steaming-hot-her-first-ever-english-music-video-6824

3.http://www.albawaba.com/entertainment/haifa-wehbes-naked-dress-breaks-internet-and-gets-western-media-talking-624739

4. http://www.pressparty.com/pg/newsdesk/cakpr/view/124891/

5. http://www.albawaba.com/entertainment/haifa-wehbe-savage-critics-her-breathing-you-music-vid-youre-vulgar-683830

The Scene: Cannes Film Festival continued; Just Cavalli opened in Beirut at the end of Summer Fashion Week; and Adore Beauty Salon opened a new outpost in Dubai, with MJK Haifa Wehbe presiding over the festivities.

Fashionista of the Week: Najwa Karam. Najwa was touring the United States and Canada, and while some of her gowns were questionable, they were all certainly interesting, and I applaud her risk taking.

Trends:  Gowns, Rainbows and ugly shoes.

Apparently, celebs do read their press, even press from unknowns like me: both singer Amar and socialite Ahed Ghaizy blocked me from viewing their Instagrams after apparently reading one of these fashion posts. I would like to say that my fashion critiquing is in good fun. All of these ladies are absolutely gorgeous, and have more style than I ever will, but c’mon: we all make fashion faux pas once in a while!

Actress Golshifteh Farhani at the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France

 Hassan Rohani and the Iranian government must be shaking their little bearded heads in disgust at the sight of Golshifteh looking so ravishingly beautiful. The dress is almost boring, bur there’s something about the bareness of the top half and her beautiful face, not to mention her notoriety, that made this the Look of the Week.

Singer Haifa Wehbe shooting Mariam Series in Egypt

 Only MJK can wear a military-inspired dress with panda high-heels and make it cool. Whoever is styling the Mariam series has a quirky sense of style, but Haifa has been pulling it off more with success.

Fashion blogger Hadia Ghaleb in Egypt 

Frida Kahlo ain’t got NOTHING on Hadia. This is so much look and I love it: each piece is a work of art in itself, especially those festival-worthy pants. Aywa!

Model Rafeaa Alhajsi in Dubai, UAE

 Rafeea’s beauty is itself a work of art; she looks stunning here. I love how she wears abayas over her dresses and they don’t detract from the gowns.

Reality stars Nadine, Alice and Fafi Abdel Aziz at Aliajouna Org bal in Beirut, Lebanon

Three goddesses on acid. I doubt anyone at this event could have taken their eyes off the Sisters; these gowns are absolute show-stoppers. I do think the nude netting could have been a lighter shade, but this is Fashion with a capital F.

Actress Aline Watfa attending an Azzedine Alaia Perfume event in Paris, France

  This says modern-day Glamorous French peasant to me. Aline looks like she should be milking a cow or gathering eggs on some picturesque chateau farm in the South of France. I approve.

Designer Paola Elsitt in LebanonPaola is going to join Aline in that French chateau farm as the glamorous flower  arranger but first she is going to ditch those shoes. This is stunning.

Singer Madeleine Matar performing on Mozae3a Arab in Lebanon

Speaking of flower arrangements: Madeleine is literally dripping with flowers. It’s a bit costumey, and she went overboard with the princess curls, but she looks like a beautiful fairy that escaped from a flower field.

Singer Haifa Wehbe attending the opening of Adore Beauty Salon in Dubai, UAE

 J’adore! Haifa looks sweet as a bonbon, and the shoes were a good touch to prevent the look from getting to saccharine. Also, kudos for acknowledging that a stylist picked out the shoes; I can’t imagine Hollywood stars admitting they didn’t pick out an outfit.

 Shatha Hassoun in Dubai, UAE

Who knew a daytime jumpsuit could look so sexy? Between the shades, the gold bracelets and the flipped hair, Shatha looks HOT!

 Fashion designer Paola Elsitt in Amman, Jordan
Poolside lounging never looked so chic. Paola manages to make a 60s style looking thoroughly modern and almost futuristic.

Presenter Stephanie Salina and Nathalie Nasrallah at the Just Cavalli Opening in Beirut, Lebanon

 Nathalie has firmly planted herself on my radar with these magnificent pants, styled to perfection with the scarf and those berry-colored shoes. Stephany looks beautiful, but the hi-lo dress trend kind of ended a while ago, and I’m not a fan of the pumps.

Model Hanaa Ben Abdesslem at the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France

Hanaa is also new to my radar, with good reason: this lilac gown is beautiful, and I agree: the edgy bob suits her well. She’s one to watch!

 Fashion presenter Diala Makki at the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France

  From afar the dress looks average, but up close Diala looked truly stunning. I like how the sparkly embroidery fades away on the skirt. She wears Rami Al-Ali well.

Singer Nancy Ajram At the Huawei Be The Star Event in Dubai, UAE

 Lebanon’s sweetheart Nancy keeps pulling out the little black dress, one of the few to choose black these past two weeks. She tried to keep her dark side in check with those Barbie sandals but I think a darker sandal would have been a better choice.

Golshifteh Farahani at the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France

 A Woman in Motion indeed! Golshifteh moves effortlessly from her glamorous white dress to this Japan-inspired kimono with ease. NOT a fan of those nude peep-toes though.

Singer Amar in Paris, France  French maid escapes her servitude to pose in front of La Tour Eiffel. I love this dress on Amar, and she’s got one beautiful head of hair.

 Diala Makki at the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France Barbie herself is jealous of Diala’s bubblegum-pink gown. But girlfriend, your extensions are not fooling anyone, at least not in this pic.

Actress Lamietta Frangieh at the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France   Somewhere else in France, a winery is cursing Lamietta for stealing their grapes. Also, Lamietta’s boobs are cursing her for stuffing them into this too-small, albeit sexy, dress.

Haifa Wehbe at the Opening of Adore Beauty Lounge in Dubai, UAE

The “Heart of the Ocean” from Titanic does not shine more brightly than Haifa in this gloriously colored dress. I thought it could have been a little bit longer, but Haifa absolutely glows. I can’t say the same for the other lady in the photo, who looks like the bride at a tacky wedding.

Singer Myriam Fares performing at a wedding

 Quick, someone get a glue gun! Myriam used wrapping paper to make her gown, and now it’s unraveling. Surprisingly, I don’t hate the dress.

Singer Najwa Karam performing in Toronto, Canada

The best of Najwa’s tour gowns. I love the soft watercolor flowers against the black, and she managed to match her lipstick perfectly to the pink flowers.

Fashion designer Haya Awad in Lebanon

 Haya keeps the kitschy vibe of the past few weeks going with this super-trendy ensemble. Wearing golden leaves on your bag and your sunglasses might seem like overkill, but this is kitsch heaven.

Lamietta Frangieh at Cannes  

Red-carpet standard princess dress. Lamietta looks beautiful, though, and I like the draping down the back.

Alice and Fafi Abdel Aziz in Lebanon  The Abdel Aziz sisters are rocking absolutely awesome dresses… And absolutely hideous heels.

Singer Wiam DahmaniWiam’s kaftan is beautiful as all her kaftan’s are, but it looks kind of weird paired with that LV bag, doesn’t it?

Haifa Wehbe clubbing in Dubai, UAE

 Haifa’s got a Tchitchi doll! Her dress and shoes are pretty standard club fare, but as usual she’s the most beautiful woman in the room.

Queen Rania of Jordan with Princess Selma and the Crown Prince on Jordanian National Day in Jordan First of all, congrats Jordan on your Independence Day. The Royal Family looks beautiful: Queen Rania and Princess Salma’s traditional dresses are very unique, although I’m not fond of those rolled-up sleeves.

Singer Sherine

 Forget the dress, which is totally unique; I want to know how Sherine achieved her phenomenal tan! Has she been sunbathing outside, lathering on the self-tanner or is it simply photoshop?

Reality star Alice Abdel Aziz in Lebanon

Bon voyage! Alice takes her Tchitchi doll along for the adventure, along with those fabulous old-fashioned Barbie suitcases. But wherever she’s going, she should leave those ugly shoes behind.

Singer/judge Elissa, Ragheb Alama and singer/judge Donia Samir Ghanem at the X Factor taping in Lebanon

 Always matching some element of their ensembles, Elissa and Donia decided to rock ladylike sparkly dresses-and deeply awful updos. I’m gonna say this is a tie: I kind of like Elissa’s dress more, but her shoe choice is as deeply awful as her bun.

The Sisters Abdel Aziz with Serene Assad at the Just Cavalli Opening in Beirut, Lebanon

Fashion victims. That’s what this picture says-no, screams-to me. I honestly can’t say I would wear any of their outfits, although I love the shades as always. And their shoes, like most of the fashionista’s shoe choices this week, also need to be changed.

Paola Elsitt and socialite Ahed Ghaizy at the Just Cavalli Opening in Beirut, Lebanon

The Just Cavalli Opening was full of fashion victims, apparently. Paola looks beautiful and I love her dress, heels and sunglasses although the sunglasses don’t go with the dress; Ahed, on the other hand, looks like a tacky mess. A leopard mini skirt? Seriously?

Singer Najwa Karam performing in Las Vegas, USA

Najwa ran out of tour outfits so she grabbed a chalkboard and had her fans draw on it before hitting the stage. I like the dress but it would have been better with shorter sleeves.

TV personality Stephany Saliba in Lebanon

 Pick a door, any door: Stephany looks positively statuesque and that skirt is very unique, but again she rocks a post-trendy look: peplums are officially dead.

 Dominique Hourani at the Miss USSR competition in Dubai, UAE 

I am so confused. First of all, the USSR no longer exists. Secondly, why would a Miss USSR pageant be held in Dubai and not, say, in Moscow or Minsk or Siberia? Thirdly, who decided to choose Lebanese beauty Dominique to preside as a judge? And lastly, why is Dominique dressed like one of the pageant participates? She looks really ethereal and pretty, at least, but I want my questions answered!

Socialite Jihen Karoui at the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France Jihene looks like she’s getting married and her jealous brother threw a cup of coffee on her beforehand, hence the dirty color of this dress (her brother is in fact the designer of said dress).

Singer Elissa on The X Factor in Lebanon

  How can Elissa make Mugler look so incredibly boring??? I have nothing to say about this at all.

Singer Donia Samir Raghem on The X Factor in Lebanon

 As boring as Elissa’s jumpsuit but at least it’s a nice color. Donia loses though because it’s so ill-fitting on her and, oddly enough, it’s too covered-up a look, despite the slit.

Najwa Karam in Ottawa, Canada

 Whoever’s been doing Najwa’s hair and make-up on her tour should get an award, because the woman has been in the business for at least 20 years and looks younger now than she did then. The dress is a beautiful color but the material looks very cheap, and is that a brooch on that gosh-awful neckline?

Lawyer Amal Clooney in Tokyo, Japan

Crochet and straw espadrilles? This ensemble may have worked in the South of France-with a deep tan-but it is not working on Amal at all on her Tokyo trip. The business-y bag looks awkward with such a laid-back look.

Singer Rola Saad in Lebanon

Those are some seriously fugly shoes, and what on Earth can fit in that tiny little bag? Accessories aside though, I am in LOVE with that cape-shirt. I would love to buy 10 of those in different shades and throw them over my daily outfit in the city, like a warm-weather abaya that isn’t suffocating.

Lamietta at the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France

Warning: escapee elves from Lord of the Rings are taking over the Cannes red carpet! I think I would like this gown much better if Lamietta just lost that weird black overcoat; black and pink is a hard color combo to pull off without looking punk.

Lawyer Amal Clooney in Tokyo, Japan

Traveling to Tokyo obviously throws Amal out of fashion sync, because this gown is even more hideous than that crochet dress, and her hair is a mess. Also, is that her underwear line showing, or her hipbone??

Najwa Karam in San Francisco, USA

The worst of Najwa’s tour gowns. If an angry fan tore off that weird apparatus on her shoulders while attempting to shake some sense into her this would improve dramatically, although it would be a lot more boring too.

Singer Waed Hanan

 Does Waed also have an angry fan that tore off half of her dress while she was performing? Why else would her dress be missing half a sleeve?

Singer Nicole Sabaa

 Rainbow bright? How about Rainbow Fright? There’s really nothing positive I can say about this, and I don’t think the long stick-straight hair suits her; Nicole looks so much prettier with soft waves.

Razan El Moghrabi

 Razan unearthed Kendall Jenner’s MTV Music Award’s dress from where the Fashion Police buried it and decided to take it to the future, albeit more modestly. I like her makeup though.

Model Mariam George and Dominique Hourani in Dubai, UAE Mariam and Dominique look like dancers at a shady venue. Their outfits err too much on the trashy side, although I love black leather normally; sorry ladies, you’re beautiful but I just don’t like either ensemble.

Singer Dunia Batma 

Not even Aladdin would want to take Dunia on a magic carpet ride in this awful jumpsuit. I like the pants, but that top is awkward and unflattering.

Singer Diana Karazon in Dubai, UAE 

All Day I Dream About Seeing….these sequin jersey dresses disappear from the fashion world. The were all the rage this past winter thanks to Tom Ford, and apparently Diana hasn’t gotten enough of the trend, which she paired with those equally ugly scuba-slip-on sneakers, which thanks to Dior have also become a trend.

Socialite Ahed Graizy in Lebanon24 karat? This look is worth zero karats. Individually I actually like each piece-although those sneakers are just a bit too ghetto for my taste-but together this is a tacky, flashy mess. Sorry Ahed, but why do this to yourself?

Singer Fella Soltan 

Fella has removed this photo from her Instagram since posting it and it’s not hard to understand why. She clearly ripped her dress and so had to wrap her belt around a garbage bag. This photo deserves to be trashed!

Fella Soltan   You’re never too old to want to fly off to Neverland with Peter Pan, as Fella proves here.

S-L-M

Dress codes come in all different shapes and sizes: some are strict and rigid, backed up by local laws or the rules of an establishment; others are more cultural ‘suggestions’ backed up by the frowns (and likely harassment) of a certain community. Dress codes serve different purposes: some are meant to unify; some are safety measures; and some are purely moral in nature. The latter is the most difficult to explain, yet it also seems to be the most prevalent, particularly in the Middle East.

Egyptian actress Abeer Sabry, 44, got a little more than she bargained for during a pleasure trip to Dubai a few weeks ago when she stopped by the super-trendy Sauce women’s boutique to shop. Accompanied by Tunisian actress Feriel Yousef, Abeer used the changing room. When she wanted to try something else on she decided to step out into the store several times in her underwear to find what she wanted. Her actions apparently angered one local Emirati woman, who verbally assaulted Abeer at the register while another person apparently filmed the whole incident:

“I am an Emirati woman, you are in my country, you don’t speak. I am speaking in my country, and you don’t wear that kind of clothing,” the woman apparently tells Abeer in Arabic, adding “It’s okay in your own country if you want.”

Wallah? “You don’t speak” certainly doesn’t allow for peaceful dialogue. I furthermore had to laugh at the “in your own country” comment: women don’t walk around in their underwear in Egypt either. Her use of a bit of English- “Yes this is a dress code and I have the right;” “The other lady you saw what she was wearing right? You saw it?”-is likely because other patrons of the store were not Arab, but I still thought it odd when she might not know whether or not Ms. Sabry speaks English or not.

The video went viral on social media and prompted several news articles in The National, an Emirati newspaper; now it seems as though the Emirati woman who berated the actresses might face legal charges, as it is illegal to film someone in the UAE without their consent. The woman’s argument, that Ms. Sabry was being indecent and that Emirati morals and rules should be followed by foreigners who visit the nation, reminded me of another notorious discussion: that of the hijab and veil in France. Although France has cited other reasons for banning hijab in schools and face-veils in the street, a less-championed (but much more honest and unanimous) opinion among the French is that Islamic headscarves do not belong in French society; they are not a French custom and infringe on the French customs of community and looking into one’s face when you address someone. Tourists are also to comply with the veil laws when they visit France.

***********************************************

As Abeer Sabry was being berated for stepping out in her undies in the UAE, a 12-year old girl named Sarah (not her real name) recently caused an uproar in her little hometown of Charleville-Mezieres, and greater France, when she was berated for her fashion choice, albeit a different one: her skirt. Sarah was banned from school twice in one month by her head teacher who believed that the length and color of her skirt “conspicuously” showed religious affiliation. A hijabi, Sarah dutifully complied with France’s ban on hijabs in school and removed it before the schoolday began. “The girl was not excluded, she was asked to come back with a neutral outfit and it seems her father did not want the student to come back to school,” stated local education official Patrice Dutot.

Sarah has since returned back to her classes, but the incident has once again thrown the veil laws back onto center stage (though in all honesty, they’ve never left). A young girl gets yelled at for wearing a long skirt, while an older woman is critiqued for her lack of clothes (ironically, it’s usually the other way around, with the young girl dressing more ‘immodestly’). Their choices may be superficially different, but the debate is the same: women’s bodies. Women’s fashion choices. Women’s modesty. Cultural traditions. Religious beliefs. Both Abeer and Sarah are victim to the same age-old discussion of policing women’s bodies, one that particularly plagues the Muslim world and Muslim women wherever they travel to across the globe.

There are a few interesting differences, namely the fact that Sarah’s headmaster cited a law that firmly bans conspicuous religious symbols in school. That a skirt could be a religious symbol is ridiculous: plenty of women young and old like to don maxi skirts and dresses, although it is true that they are much more popular among Muslim women. The Emirati accuser could easily have cited the UAE’s modesty laws-although one is allowed to sit on Dubai’s beautiful beaches in a bikini if one wishes-but it would have been the boutique’s discretion on whether or not to call the police; besides, it is a woman’s boutique. And while the UAE’s modesty laws are tied to a millenia of religious and cultural tradition, France’s veil laws-no matter how thinly veiled-are also meant to provide a space of safety and secularism that all can benefit from.

What I found most interesting about Abeer Sabry’s botched shopping trip was the fact that her accuser was a woman, not an old man or the morality police. A woman. A woman who should have sympathized and empathized with her, even if she herself has only worn abaya in public since she hit puberty. A woman who should know better than to bodyshame in the manner that she did, in public, while filming her encounter! Even more appalling was the fact that, unlike the case of Sarah versus her school, which was essentially one of Muslimah versus secular school, the Emirati woman and Abeer Sabry are both Arabs and Muslims (correct me if I’m wrong about Ms. Sabry). This was not the case of a ‘ignorant’ Westerner coming to a Muslim country, or a clash of ‘East versus West.’ Perhaps the Emirati woman would have been more forgiving though if, instead of an Egyptian actress, she had confronted said ignorant Western tourist.

In 2014 around 130 students in France were prevented from attending their classes for their alleged religious attire, according to the Collectif contre l’Islamophobie en France (CCIF), although the CCCIF did not say what type of religious attire it was. France is further considering banning hijabs from universities. The UAE has decided to provide abayas for uncovered citizens and tourists at various places including courtrooms to prevent any immodesty. Both secular France and the Emirati government might think they have nothing in common in regards to the issue of a woman’s dress, but they are in fight both fighting on the same side-albeit for different results-against the same enemy: women.

S-L-M

Sources:

1.  http://www.thenational.ae/uae/courts/appropriate-clothing-for-women-provided-at-dubai-courts
2. http://www.thenational.ae/uae/video-of-actress-in-dubai-mall-dress-code-row-goes-viral
3. http://observers.france24.com/fr/content/20150514-trop-courte-jupe-algerie-montrer-jambes-polemique
4. http://www.onislam.net/english/news/europe/485283-french-muslim-student-kicked-out-for-long-skirt.html
5. http://www.khaleejtimes.com/kt-article-display-1.asp?xfile=data/editorial/2015/May/editorial_May28.xml&section=editorial
6. http://egyptianstreets.com/2015/05/15/saudi-man-banned-from-entering-restaurant-for-wearing-traditional-robe-egypt-apologizes/
7. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/egyptian-streets/kissing-in-egypt-a-crimin_b_7257778.html
8. http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/05/14/UAE-woman-who-shouted-at-actress-in-mall-faces-legal-action-.html

 Lebanese superstar Elissa’s most recent music video is also her most serious: “Ya Merayti” (“My Mirror”) features Elissa as a domestic abuse survivor. Shunning the romantic lovey-dovey storylines popular with Arab music videos the clip, shot on location in Serbia, brings to light a problem that is all too familiar for plenty of Arab women, yet, much like elsewhere in the world, is grossly underreported.

In the Middle East, however, domestic violence is not only underreported, it is also considered somewhat normal. Very few governments in the region contain laws against domestic violence; spousal rape is another issue entirely which has hardly any litigation against it. Finding a charity or non-profit organization that deals with survivors of domestic violence, as well as rape and sexual assault, is next to impossible, at least online anyways. Lebanon is one of the few countries which has visible advocacy against DV: not only has the country taken steps to outlaw domestic violence, it also has several active organizations addressing the issue such as KAFA (“Enough”). Turkey, Egypt, Tunisia and Bahrain have also seen progress in dealing with DV; in May, a landmark court case in Turkey held the former Interior Minister guilty of murdering his wife.

Like women elsewhere in the world, Arab wives don’t report violence at the hands of their husband’s because they are afraid of their spouse; of going to the police; and of what their families and communities are going to say. The shame of reporting such an act would bring great embarrassment to their families.

Many women have no choice but to stay silent for economic reasons: an unskilled housewife with several children cannot easily find a job in a rural town in Egypt or Yemen if she divorces her husband. Divorce itself is often an unthinkable option in itself among communities where divorce is uncommon. A “good wife,” generally speaking, is supposed to serve her husband without questioning his authority or talking back; she is to be seen and not heard.

Yet Elissa’s video is challenging taboos and cultural norms by bringing the issue of domestic violence into the spotlight. And what a reception it has been! The clip, published on May 14th, garnered over 1.5 million views on YouTube in less than a week.  Critical reception has been positive, with many applauding Elissa’s work in spotlighting this pressing issue; even her fellow celebs (and competition), such as singer Maya Diab (who has vigorously promoted the song) have lauded Ya Merayti.

The video is well executed, serious without being overdramatic or cheesy (which, given that it is an Arab music video, it easily could have been). Sure, Elissa looks glamorous (a given for any music video, no matter what the subject matter is); sure, she is a woman of privilege, i.e. she’s not living in a tiny house in a rural village frantically running from one chore to the next while her husband farms. But I kind of like that she portrays a middle-class woman, rather than a stereotypically poor woman: it illustrates the point that domestic abuse occurs in all types of families, not just those who are poor and uneducated.

I do, however, question why she chose to have a sort of retro, 1950s-ish theme, as though DV is a thing of the past, when it most certainly isn’t. Again, housewives are not the only women who experience DV: as the Saudi TV journalist Rania Al-Baz sadly proved, even prolific anchorwomen can be abused by their husbands. For those of you who might not have heard Rania’s story, she was one of the few women news anchors on Saudi TV whose husband, Saudi singer Mohammed Fallata, beat her continuously. In 2004, after he beat her so badly that he thought she was dead, Rania decided to post the photos of her smashed face for the world to see, in the process smashing the taboo that domestic violence could not be talked about, because it was not supposed to exist.

We see Elissa’s character heading into a beauty shop to get concealer for the huge bruises on her face, hiding her eyes with a dark pair of sunglasses when she exits onto the street. She suffers in silence as she serves her husband breakfast, where he is irritable and grumpy. He catches her innocently talking to a male passerby on the street who is kind to her. The abuse scene, where he slaps her several times in the face, leaving her laying on the floor bruised, ends with him slumped and seeming to beg for forgiveness, an all-too-common act among abusers.

At the end of the video, we see Elissa’s character as a successful author who’s written a book about her life story. She’s shown with her children, now older; in fact, the children are Elissa’s real-life daughter and son! The story of Saudi Arabia’s Rania Al-Baz also ended in a similar fashion: after an extensive recovery (Rania’s face only bears slight scars from being broken in 13 places) she not only divorced Fallata, she also managed to gain custody of their two children, which is completely unheard of in Saudi Arabia. Like Elissa’s character, Rania also has written a book about her life.

“My book is about  a women who has suffered. Maybe this woman is watching today; she should know that this isn’t the end. Break your silence, not your reflection in the mirror,” her character says at the end. It’s a great message of hope for women who are suffering domestic violence in silence, wondering if the pain and hurt will ever end. Rather than blame themselves and beat themselves up for their spouse’s abuse, Elissa reminds them to be courageous and write a different ending to their story.

S-L-M

Resources

1. http://ivysays.com/2015/05/25/elissa-falls-victim-to-domestic-violence/

2. http://www.albawaba.com/entertainment/elissas-got-fan-maya-diab-watch-clip-even-has-celebs-talking-697130

3. http://www.theguardian.com/media/2005/oct/05/broadcasting.saudiarabia

4. http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2015/06/turkey-court-makes-landmark-ruling-on-womens-murders.html#

American tabloid magazine US Weekly features a page called “Celebs: Just like Us?” with pictures of celebrities either living the high life or doing shockingly mundane things. Let’s do a Middle East version featuring the region’s superstars.

NOT LIKE US!

They drive a red version of the Batmobile, or at least pretend to. I mean, it kind of looks like Lola’s checking her watch….

They get mobbed while attending movie premieres because they’re hot and famous.

They look fresh-faced and trendy while traveling!! #megaJealous

They drive with their cat on the dashboard (OK, so this is a photo shoot but it’s totally something Myriam would do, since she’s a Crazy Cat Lady like me).

They can afford to pack 11 suitcases, Whereas we have to wear all black, pack one suitcase and call it a day.

They travel by helicopter. Without even a purse or cellphone, because everybody knows who they are and will pay for them.

   They take selfies with their dentists and post them on Instagram. This seems to be a trend in the Arab world, but posing cheesily with my doctor is the last thing I want to do after having him/her poke and prod me.

Their school crowns them Prom Queen (let’s face it, we all wanted to be crowned, even if we pretended not to).

They wear a full face of makeup when jumping out of an airplane. Gotta look good for those selfies!

They carry luggage worth more than my apartment.

They bounce on trampolines with their kids in evening gowns, practically begging for a wardrobe malfunction. BTW, Dominique, isn’t your gown getting dirty??

The pose in bulldozers, because nowhere is off limits if you’re a model. And a blonde.

They get to put their feet on the seats of a private jet, because even while traveling in a private jet they don’t have seatmates.

They get to travel by private jet. And every single picture they post while doing so makes us #megaJealous because it’s just not fair.

They (pretend) to ride motorbikes while in Barbie-pink heels and crop-tops that would certainly cause Lebanese motorists to crash and cause a traffic jam.

They can strike an arabesque pose in 4-inch heels while shaking hands with their (equally talented) dog. Maya is one fit lady!

They post no-makeup selfies and look absolutely effing gorgeous. #LifeIsNotFair

They chill out in birdcages, because regular chairs are too boring.

They wash their own cars in high-heels and make sure that at least two people are taking their photo in the process. A lot of Myriam’s outrageous acts might be staged for photo shoots, but they sure are interesting!

They get carried by a glittery moshpit wherever they go.

Like us!

   They cook ordinary dishes in ordinary kitchens (i.e., kitchens that look like they are actually used, not touched twice a year at holidays).

They walk in their graduation ceremony! Congrats, Klodia!

  They wear the same dresses we own (sometimes!) like this Zuhair Murad for  Mango dress that I bought in….2010.

They stick their tongue out and mug for the camera (I don’t think we play with stuffed animals past the age of 10, though).

They browse book stores. I’d love to know if Pascal actually knows English or she’s just pretending to read an English book!

They take a cooking class so their husbands-to-be don’t grimace at their skills (it’s OK, Shatha, you can just hire a personal chef!)

They do touristy things in their own home country, like playing with the snakes (!) in Marrakesh’s Jemaa al Fnaa souq.

They make sure their daughter’s birthday party is out of this world cool, and that she feels like a princess (Nancy’s relationship with her daughters is just too cute!)

 They shovel dirt (or more to the point enforce child labor to get the job done). Rola is such a good tante, isn’t she?

They go camping in the wilds of Lebanon, because camping is so much better when there aren’t creatures prowling around to eat you!

  They can’t get off their phones while having lunch. C’mon Hind, you’re at Fauchon!

They’re still amazed at the quality (and size!) of Steiff stuffed animals. Which one you gonna choose, Reine?

They party with friends…who just happen to be celebrities too. Hey, birds of a feather flock together!

They like to play tourist and pose next to cool stuff.

They take selfies. Lots of selfies. They can’t stop taking selfies.

They can’t help but take a cruise on the Nile River when they visit Cairo. Hey, there’s a reason why tourists do “touristy” things-they’re fun!

They get overexcited at the thought of eating their birthday cake (in Haifa’s cake, she has not one but TWO birthday cakes!)

They get beauty work done. Because not even celebrities can stop the age process, although Haifa does a damn good job.

They look apprehensive while boarding a roller coaster ride. (Side note: doesn’t Haifa look adorably cute in this pic?!?)

They go for a leisurely stroll on a sunny afternoon.

They smile nervously while waiting in the dentist office, because even being a celebrity doesn’t make going to the dentist any less painful.

They go bowling with their friends for fun (but at least don’t have to wear those dorky shoes like us).
They give back to their communities; after all, there’s only so many galas and movie premieres one can attend….right?

They take the subway! (Side note: I too would love taking the subway if the NYC metro was as clean and pretty as the Dubai metro appears to be!)

They sometimes look like us! Doesn’t Nancy Ajram look sooo much like me in this pic?!? I’m on the right :D

They agree to babysit and then shake their head in wonder.

They take the train and nobody realizes it…because they only take the train in Europe, where nobody knows who they are.

They all whip out their phones to tqke 1001 versions of the same photo, because 1000 photos are never enough. (In fact I did see one thousand and one photos from this Iftar at the Sofitel Casablanca that Shatha hosted).

They can’t have a conversation with their friends who are sitting next to them because they’re too busy texting (note: my Egyptian ex was the KING of doing this).

They bite their thumb and make bitchy  faces at people when asked weird questions (Haifa was on Rating Ramadan here and probably got asked something  dumb).

Like us or not? Your call!

 Buying Crocs is a rather plebian thing to do, but I must insist that I am NOT like Lady Rain because I would never, ever wear Crocs. Nor buy them for someone else.

S-L-M

For four days each November leading academics, businesspeople and other personalities converge on the world’s most famous institution for Harvard Arab Weekend. Sponsored by the Harvard Alumni Association and other Middle East/North Africa student organizations, this conference, billed as the ‘largest pan-Arab conference in North America” according to its website, discusses the most important issues pressing the Arab world today. After two years of pining to attend, I finally bought my tickets and headed to Cambridge for the 2014 conference which took place this past weekend, November 6-9th.

It was (surprisingly!) my first time traveling to Boston and Cambridge, which in my mind there’s no place more American, given Boston’s history in the founding of the United States. Harvard University seemed an almost odd choice at first, given that it’s still a predominantly white insttution that upholds the epitome of White Male Power. I was blown away by the beauty of the campus and its architecture, and quaint, brick-sidewalked Cambridge which reminded me of an English town….physically, we were as far away from Cairo, Baghdad, camels, deserts and the violence overtaking the Middle East as possible.

I attended Saturday and Sunday’s events, which consisted of panels, keynote speeches and a great musical performance by Marcel Khalife, a Lebanese musician whose songs have been somewhat of a controversy in the Middle East. After a moving speech (in Arabic with translation) he gave a wonderful performance in the Memorial Chapel, an ornate building with the names of Harvard alums who died in the World Wars inscribed on the walls. Playing the oud, an instrument similiar to a guitar, he was accompanied by another gentleman whose name escapes me and a female vocalist named Abeer who had the most stunning operatic voice. I’d never heard Khalife, so I enjoyed the introduction.

The panels I attended were interesting and highlighted current debates in the Arab world. At the Improving Education Quality And Access Level Across The Arab World panel, Marjorie Henningsen, an American who works in Lebanon, remarked on the need to overhaul the K-12 program and to teach children skills they can use in live, rather than rote learning, which I feel is pertinent to America’s educational system, too. At the Arab Identity in Motion panel, which discussed the past, present and future of the so-called “Arab identiy,” Moneera Al-Ghadeer made a great remark that resonates with my thesis topic on the hijab and burqa bans in France: “Even when we are home, home does not recognize us.” The Arab identity is not easy to pinpoint, yet in the West it is quite neatly stereotypically packaged in a way that is damaging to those of Arab descent.

I was probably most excited to attend the Boycott and Divestment Panel panel, which discussed the boycott of goods made in Israel and the divestment strategies aimed at Israeli companies and institutions, as Dr. Noam Chomsky spoke! Chomsky, born Jewish, is a huge critique of the Israeli state and at 85 years old and, still teaching at MIT, is frankly a legend in academia. “It doesn’t matter what we feel,” he said in response to an audience question concerning the high emotions of those who discuss the Palestine Question, “it’s what is the effect on the victims.” Another key point to my thesis. Another great quote: “Going after the centers of power matters. It’d be nice if it’s a democracy but it’s not, it’s a plutocracy.” It was an honor, having read his work before, to sit in the same room and hear him speak, and his co-panellists, especially activist Andrew Kadi, were equally inspirational.

Being a feminist, I of course attended the “Women in Business” panel, which included Alaa Balkhy, a young Saudi entrepreneur and Pratt graduate student who founded and designs the fashion label Fyunka. I’ve been meaning to do a post on Fyunka, since its cute, Arab-culture-inspired designs-think niqab-clad ladies and fluttery eyelashes-are adorable and I even own one of her clutch purses. She talked about the significance of Instagram helping Muslim businesses and Arab Insta-shops, a topic which fascinates me. A male audience member, during the Q&A, asked a great question regarding why the trend in the Middle East is for women to create social entrepreneurships rather than ‘real money’ businesses. I didn’t feel that the panel adequately addressed his question, which I understood and agree with. There is a growing number of female businesswomen in the Middle East, but they’re not spearheading construction companies, or oil companies, or bigtime financial firms or the like, probably because they don’t have experience with these things and unless they come from money they won’t have the capital to get into, say, setting up a chemical engineering plant.

The two keynote speeches I attended were quite entertaining and thought-provoking as well. Fadi Majdalani and Fadi Ghandour, Founder and Vice-Chairman of Aramex among other ventures, gave a great speech at Harvard Business School about the lack of jobs in the Middle East and what must be done. Fadi Ghandour was particularly entertaining; during Q&A, an anonymous question was asked via the Pigeonhole computer program that started with “Hi Fadi G, you’re awesome.” Fadi G. interrupted, asking “Is this a man or a woman?” and followed up with, “I can have up to four [wives] you know,” which left the audience in an uproar.

Ali Jaber, Group TV director of MBC, the largest media company in the Middle East, also gave a very interesting although flawed (in my opinion) speech. Mr. Jabber, who was also a judge in 2011 on “Arabs Got Talent,” spoke like a true media person, relying on a sort of stereoytpical version of Arab society. He wrongly remarked that the Arab world had one history and one faith, which is obviously untrue: what about Christians and Jews? How can one compare Saudi Arabia’s history to that of Morocco, or of Libya to Iraq? He later remarked that people like to watch TV for escapism, to escape their job, their stress, their “wife,” which brought applause from the male audience members. When questioned for the reasons why he axed Egyptian satirist Bassem Youssef’s political-lampooning talkshow, he said, “Don’t we all already know the reasons?” although later conceded that the [Egyptian] government doesnt have a sense of humour. Furthermore, he glossed over a question about the deteriorating level of “modesty” on MBC TV, which I wondered why.

Overall, I highly enjoyed my time at HAW and definitely walked away with some new perspectives. However, one major observation which stuck with me throughout the entire time was how different the conference would have been if it had taken place at The New School, which is where I am doing my masters. My school is known for “challenging the system,” which is something I felt was still not done during this conference. As I sat at these discussions I observed those around me. Everyone was well-dressed in suits and business clothes. A few girls wore hijabs, but paired with Western clothes. One girl wore Louboutin pumps and what looked like a Chanel suit to the Marcel Khalife performance. Some of the people had Western first names (this of course might have denoted their Christian backgrounds). Most were either from the Levant i.e. Lebanon and Jordan or from the Gulf countries. I realized, sitting there, an outsider because of my ethnicity and educational background, that I was looking at the conference through the lens of wealth and privilege.

I realized, sitting there, that I had little experience with this type of Arab person who is American-born, American-educated an well-to-do.The audience attendees were likely all wealthy, or if not wealthy, than privledged. They were privileged enough to either attend an uber-elite university like Harvard, or at the very least to attend an event at Harvard (most people I concluded were affiliated with Harvard). Many were probably American-born, and thus did not have the same background as those who are born in the Middle East. If they were foreign, they were clearly, again, privleged enough to learn English and come to the States. They were probably Harvard Business School students, or studying to become “doctors and lawyers,” anything but fighting for human rights or political stability for the Arab world. I know I may be entirely wrong about this, but the MENA Career Fair exemplified this: there were no non-profit organizations, only finance companies like Booz Allen and big companies like Shell Oil. They were not trying to upset the status quo.

The class divide was apparent in the discussions. Fadi Ghandour called on young, successful Arabs to return to their home countries to build their economies, citing the dire need for their expertise and skill. He noted that people were starting to return, working in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and other gulf countries. But that doesn’t count, I would argue. The Gulf countries are safe from violence, stable, and have ample resources. Even though I’ve never been there, I’d wager that Dubai is structurally akin to New York in terms of material comforts. How is it a sacrifice to return to Dubai or glitzy Jeddah? The real sacrifice would be to move to Egypt or Iraq or even Lebanon, where jobs are needed and there isn’t this growing economy where Western companies are investing. It would be a sacrifice to return to a country where the material comforts are not on par with America, but where real change is needed.

This was again apparent during the Women in Business panel. Panelist Maali Alasousi is a Kuwaiti who set up the Tamkeen for Development Initiative in Yemen after visiting the country and realizing the dire economic situation women face. When she talked about her experience, it was the same as a white, wealthy European going off into the dark jungle on a missionary adventure: Yemen might as well have been a foreign planet, not the Middle East. There was something unsettling about her remarks, since they implied the sacrifice of leaving comfortable Kuwait for backwards Yemen where children were eating garbage. The entire time, I was thinking, but what of the children who live in the garbage slums of Cairo? What of the piles of garbage one passes on every street in Cairo? What about the apparent poverty that made young boys approach my mother and I in Morocco and try to “help us” for a tip? The divide between the Gulf countries and the rest of the Middle East is disgusting, and if the conference reminded me of anything it’s that those in privledge aim to stay privledged, and it’s usually at the cost of common folk.

In any case, I was inspired, and I hope to attend the conference again!

 S-L-M

Has there been anything like it in modern-day diplomacy? Perhaps not. Perhaps because world leaders are not given the luxury of time to spend on what has been an elaborate PR campaign of both man and country. Perhaps because no country has essentially the luxury of picking and choosing what aspects of itself to improve on such a broad scale. Perhaps because it is rare that a country’s vision can run so unencumbered and unopposed by the million and one legal, political and financial barriers that would normally stand in its way.

Or it could be all the above, plus the fact that no country has been in such a unique position as Saudi Arabia and its Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. MBS, as he has been abbreviated, embarked on a world tour starting in March which has seen a man who is clearly desperate-although one would never guess from his cheerful, calm and optimistic exterior-to sell himself and his vision to the world. Saudi Vision 2020, as his masterplan for The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is known, needs to be sold more to foreigners than to its own citizens for it to truly succeed.

Why? Because a new country has been seemingly formed, one where everything is for sale and-ostensibly-improvement. The people seem as though they have been imported from a far-off but familiar planet: they have the same material tastes as any ordinary American but are incapable of creating or producing what they consume. But there is a difference between the people represented by this determined man and those, say, that live in tiny mountainside villages who have never seen running water, electricity or a modern store. These people have money, and what they may be lacking in talent, they are willing to buy.

MBS is not conducting a world tour so he can build primary schools, install waterworks or feed the hungry. He’s not drumming up the usual suspects i.e. the IMF and World Bank. He’s meeting with Michael Bloomberg and Bill Gates; he’s probably discussing all about space and Hyperloop with Richard Branson in the US’s Mojave Desert. His country is no third-world backwater in terms of quality of living, strictly speaking: its people pay no taxes and receive hefty government benefits. They live comfortable, even pampered lives (generalizing, but still). But San Francisco or London this is not: while materialism can be purchased, the stuff is not MADE IN SAUDI. The ideas, the products-everything is outsourced.

In order to get this MADE IN SAUDI environment kicking, the Prince has to ironically turn to outsourcing some more. Instead of sending Saudi kids on government scholarship to MIT in Boston, why not bring MIT right to the kids, so they can stay home and more kids get the opportunity for that world-class tech education? Still, its going to be a while until entrepreneurship in all sectors flourishes to the levels capable of developing tubular transport or Unicorn startups. That’s where the endless meetings with CEOs from Washington, D.C. to NYC come in, where the Prince must convince them to invest in his kingdom.

What immediately indicated that this was no ordinary diplomatic mission was the abundance of PR marketing that flooded London prior to MBS’ arrival. Instead of Ministry of Foreign Affairs banners welcoming the Prince-who is taking on a role akin to that of the actual King, his father King Salman-there were posters and billboards and newspaper ads that must have been paid for by the Saudi government. With his benign-looking smile beaming up at viewers, the ads did just that; they advertised MBS and his initiatives, an unusual course of action in a foreign country. The posters, which were even plastered on the sides of trucks, said things like “He is creating a new Saudi Arabia.” “He is opening Saudi Arabia to the world,” read another. Who were they trying to convince, anyways? Members of Parliament? CEOs? The British public? Saudi expats? Or-possibly-Saudis back home?

While the first two are the most obvious choices, essentially MBS needs the whole world on his side. Ultimately, he needs foreign investment ($$$). But no CEO is going to invest in Saudi unless politically it is stable and accepted on the world stage (this is where the politicians come in). And while convincing his own countrymen that his “radical” ideas are not the work of the devil is important, it is equally important that he convinces the foreign public–you know, the ones who think Saudi is just a medieval country where they cut off people’s hands and women hide behind burqas. Because MBS wants Saudi to be a leader country. He wants it to be a cool place-he wants to be cool.

Are they buying what the Prince is selling? Or, as TIME magazine asked, should they be buying what he’s selling? TIME discusses the cons of bin Salman, his meteoric rise to power in which he ricocheted his uncle into oblivion, started a disgusting war in Yemen and jailed rich bigwigs for corruption… all while never bringing them to court on even the slightest of trumped-up charges. None of the above is cool. None of the above earns him any merit badges or would look good on a CV. The soundbites that have accompanied his tour (women don’t need to wear abaya!) will have real-life implications on the ground if they are actually and fully implemented, but they’re entirely intended for Western ears. After all, what female CEO or business leader will want to come train or set up shop in Saudi if the traditional vision of Saudi women is still the reality?

Soundbites and a desire for a homegrown Silicon Valley do not mask the entirely aggressive agenda bin Salman has domestically pursued. He may have dressed down in a suit as he took on the USA, but MBS came into his role as Crown Prince fully suited for battle. If I were Satayoshi Masa of Softbank or The Rock (he met with actors in Los Angeles!) I would be hesistant to sign onto anything with such a guy. What he’s selling is cool, sure. Vision 2030 sounds freaking awesome, especially when you consider what Saudi has been like for the past decades. But when something seems too good to be true…. it usually is.

In short, MBS has too much on his plate for a guy who suddenly just found out he’s next in line to be king. At first, his ideas sounded great, and many of them do seem fantastic (women can drive!) But they keep coming-one right after another-into a country which is going to have its first cinema showing on April 18th. First cinema showing. That, too, is a post for another time, but it’s something that anyone with more than a passing knowledge of Saudi and world affairs and human decency should be questioning during the Crown Prince’s tour: how is this an achievement? Sure, congratulations: you’ve realized that cinemas are not haram. But if cinemas are your starting point, how convincing is it that all these other glorious visions will come to see the light of day?

At the end of the day, MBS needs to succeed in his delusions of grandeur, if only for the benefit of the Saudi people who have long lived in a kind of gilded prison. Despite his classless self-marketing, his friendship with Donald Trump, his gross denials of extremist exportation and his transparent, fervent desire to be as cool as Dubai’s Sheikh Mohammed Al Maktoum, we need him to win. Because the Saudi youth now have a pied piper and champion, even if he does have less altruistic motivations. Because they cannot unhear his promises and goals. Because his Vision 2030 has become their vision, whether they dreamed it or not.

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Western absurdities and sinful projects. The Yemen-based al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) certainly had a colorful way of describing cinemas and concerts in a bulletin it issued on June 1st. The terrorist organization condemned Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for “opening the door wide for corruption and moral degradation” with his plan of social reform. Although AQAP did not threaten the Kingdom for engaging in the very vices it condemns in the Western world, its statements highlight the sensitivity and danger of the quick cultural transformation currently under way in the home of Islam.

“The new era of [Mohammad bin Salman] replaced mosques with movie theaters,” AQAP stated, calling MBS and the Saudi government “corruptors”for introducing entertainment in a country which was a veritable vacuum of entertainment options up until the past year. The terrorist group’s condemnation of movies, musical concerts and circus shows sounds utterly ridiculous, medieval and backwards and is almost laughable. But this is Al-Qaeda we’re talking about, and while plenty of Saudis are overjoyed at the changes taking place in their country, that does not mean that others do not share AQAP’s point of view.

For decades, Saudi Arabia has shied away from the word “fun.” Amusements and arts were virtually non-existent: no movies, no concerts, no theatre, dance or live performances of any kind, save poetry readings. Home to the holiest places in Islam (Mecca and Medina) and under the influence of the strict Wahhabi sect of Islam, Saudi Arabia promoted a rigid, religious society that made the country a social and cultural pariah unique among world nations. Saudis looking for entertainment had to literally leave the country, with nearby Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates the popular options.

It is not hard to see why the recent, rapid cultural explosion would spark the ire of AQAP and other ultra-conservatives, then, given the context in which they were introduced. The World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) event that took place in April in Jeddah incensed AQAP for all the predictable reasons: foreigner infidels who had cross tattoos? Check. Tight outfits that “exposed their privates?” Check. A mixed gathering of men and women? Check. Going from a society where all signs of other religions are stamped out, men and women were heavily segregated, and strict Islamic dress is imposed to one where young crowds cheer at a WWE event would definitely cause a form of culture shock, even though many Saudis have indulged in such entertainment abroad or via the internet.

Interestingly, this is not the first time Saudi Arabia has been accused of losing its morality and following Western ways by radicals. In 1965, the creation of Saudi television resulted in bloody riots by ultra-conservatives who protested the presentation of “graven images.” Their outrage over female presenters caused women to be banned from Saudi television for some time. The introduction of cinemas, art shows, Western books and TV shows further sparked the anger of certain ultra-conservatives who would later go on to stage the siege of Mecca in 1979 and form Al-Qaeda.

Cultural reform and progress will always be met with backlash by those who are resistant to change; this is to be expected. Fortunately, 70% of the Saudi population is under 30 years old, and therefore much more open to change than their elders. However, in a country where religion plays such a huge role and has served as a reason for barring cinemas and concerts, things become ideologically tricky. Why, all of a sudden, have religious underpinnings been ignored in the name of entertainment?

Conservatives in the Kingdom have indeed criticized the recent reforms. Residents of smaller towns are particularly vociferous: in the town of Huraymila, locals refused to attend a concert held by the General Entertainment Authority, the government entity responsible for organizing entertainment events. In September 2017, the website of the GEA was hit by an outside cyber attack. Yet criticism has not dampened plans but rather accelerated them: on June 2nd it was announced that a new Ministry of Culture will be formed.

When an ideology has been so ingrained in a culture for decades, suddenly reversing it without concrete reasons other than “progress for the sake of progress” must be done delicately. Perhaps Princess Reema bint Bandar al-Saud, the Crown Prince’s cousin who runs the Saudi General Sport Authority, put it best: “When you live in a community where, overnight, what was a ‘no’ is a ‘yes,’ it’s very hard to rationalize if there’s no ‘why.” The government needs to be able to give a “why” that goes beyond economic reform in the face of slumping oil prices, and this “why” must clarify recent events vis-a-vis religion.

Is Saudi Arabia’s boisterous cultural and social agenda too much too fast? Will it provoke a backlash that goes beyond private criticisms and Twitter rants and echoes previous reform attempts? Only time will tell, but it seems that this time around, the youth are more interested in Yanni and Black Panther than they are in religious fundamentalism. And this is what the government is no doubt banking on in order to avoid the “why.”

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