I’m never good enough #KolenaLaila

December 30th, 2009 campaign, diary, femaleTags: kolena-laila

This post is part of my participation in the Kolena Laila initiative

I was an A student in high school. But my Arabic teacher told me I should get married and stay home to raise my children. I wasn’t good enough to have a career!

I was a nerd at the university. But my classmates thought I was wasting my time by studying a “manly”(?) major. I wasn’t good enough to have the chance to prove they’re wrong.

I’m a hard worker, in fact I’m a workaholic!! And after almost 2 years in my current job, some of my colleagues still think I’m a “designer” which is a “girly”(?) position in their opinion. I’m not good enough to do what they’re doing or even close.

My parents always get this “Awww..Poor You” look when they say they have 3 girls(I have 2 sisters, no brothers). We’re never good enough as a son. Not even when they say they’re very proud of us. Not even when my father says he raised 3 independent and powerful women!. We’re still not frigging good enough!!!

I’ve been touched and sexually harassed so many times because I was never good enough to have the right to own my body!!

I was subjected to all forms of sexism because I was never good enough to even say I am good enough!!

Because I AM good enough..I am even better!!

It’s not only me. It’s what every female goes through in our male dominant societies. The problem is that most of these women believe that. They accept being not good enough. They accept being treated as objects or even sex slaves. And they raise their girls to accept that too!

The solution should start with us. We should believe in ourselves so others can do too!

One Year after the war on #Gaza

December 28th, 2009 Palestine, arab, blogging, campaignTags: arab, awareness, gaza, hashtag, Palestine, twitter

Trending Gaza on twitter was successful yesterday to spread awareness about the brutal Zionists’ assault and siege.

Spread the word. The whole world must know the truth!

Follow and Contribute to the Twitter hashtag #GAZA

كلنا ليلى – في لبنان #KolenaLaila

December 22nd, 2009 Egypt, Lebanon, Uncategorized, arab, blogging, campaign, diary, female, language, male, memory, society, sportsTags: campaign, Egypt, female, feminism, initiative, kolena-laila, Lebanon, male, online, women

ساعة الأرض بلبنان..غير شكل

March 27th, 2009 Lebanon, campaign, وآكلة

Laila 3

October 18th, 2008 campaign, female, society

So tomorrow marks Laila’s third anniversary. I was going to say the Egyptian Laila but I personally believe she comes from every Arab country or any male-dominant society. I’ve been in her shoes in some occassions and I know MANY Laila’s to feel her pain. After all I’m a female and proud of it, so I guess this makes me Laila by default

I’ve never participated and wrote anything in Laila’s day but I make sure every time that I read all of the posts. I’m even following Lasto Adri’s delicious bookmarks this time to keep me updated even before it starts (Sorry ~blushes~). I really want to participate this time even if it’s a very small and humble particpation.

What I look forward to more is the reactions; the negative ones to be specific. You see when a so-called “man” mocks Laila (and many will tomorrow), it’s only because he’ll feel threatened and maybe for the first time in his life someone will tell him what a very silly human being he is. I feel sorry for them, for they don’t know any other way to deal with Laila. They attack her at work, they attack her at home, they attack her in the street, they attack her in the stores, they attack her when she tries to claim her rights, they attack her when she tries to defend herself, they attack her when she wants to be herself, they attack her everywhere and all the time. So I won’t be surprised when they attack her on her day.

I also feel sorry for those men who think that Laila is trying to be like them or Laila is against men. She’s not!! Laila is about Laila’s life. Sometimes her problems are caused be women not men. So dear -Laila is against men- “man”, you’re not the center of the universe this time.

I’m looking forward to see Laila’s posts tomorrow. I will agree with some posts and I will disagree with others. But it won’t change on whose side I am: Definitely hers.

Blog Action Day – Poverty

October 15th, 2008 Lebanon, campaign, society

So today is the Blog Action Day for the year 2008. It’s about poverty this time. In my opinion it’s useless to talk about any kind of poverty in Lebanon except for one: “Brain Poverty”.

People in Lebanon are poor in their brains. And it is what causing every form of poverty to invade their lives. You see when a person lacks a brain, s/he’ll re-elect the same people who killed her/his family (you’ll see in the coming elections) couple of decades ago with guns. And these elected people will continue to kill her/his family by stripping her/him her/his minimum rights as a human being.

So in order to think about fighting poverty in Lebanon, give the Lebanese some brains, and they’ll be able to move on to think about having a decent life.

That’s all what I have to say.

I shouldn’t have used this campaign to say this but watch the Lebanese News and you’ll be frustrated as I am right now! They make me sick!

The power of people is always stronger!!

April 10th, 2008 Egypt, campaign, politics, society

There’s nothing harder than having a son(?) of your own country occupying your own country!! That’s what the Egyptian people is facing in my opinion..Their land, their souls, their bread, their lives and everything they have are taken away from them by the Egyptian(?) tyrant regime!!!

Mubarak, did you believe that you can keep the protests and the “NO” behind the university campuses forever?!!? did you really think that you can arrest all of these young men and women?!?! kill them?? torture them??? and even if you did do that…do you really believe that it kill or simply erase the idea of bringing you down??? You can’t be stronger than the power of the people…no matter how powerful you or your masters are!!

And please, next time (if any) when you lecture about democracy, please remember Israa Abdel Fatah who’s in custody because of practicing her least rights as a citizen..calling for a strike!!!!
When you talk about democracy, remember AlMahalla, and how you’re killing them because they dared to live…and you can’t lie about or cover it!!! Arresting bloggers and journalists isn’t going to hide what you’re doing to your(?) people…

And oh…Enjoy your birthday in the 4th of May, ra7 t2oum el denye w ma to23od!!! They’re sending the invitation cards from now!!!

PS: No matter how I talk about what’s going on there, I won’t be just and good ofcourse as this blog: 6 April 2008’s Strike. Check it constantly to know what’s really going on there. Check this flickr account: Egypt Sons for real photos.

وسقط مبارك

April 10th, 2008 Egypt, campaign, photo

وسقط مبارك, originally uploaded by Egypt Sons – أبناء مصر.

To Egypt..

April 5th, 2008 Egypt, campaign, politics, society

Against Female Genital Mutilation

December 25th, 2007 campaign, female, society

I was adding some banners to add to my blog and I wanted a banner for a campaign against Female Genital Mutilation or Female Circumcision, and I came across Amnesty.org’s ads. I liked them alot for showing a Female Genital Mutilation without showing a Female Genital Mutilation. They used the flower the delicate, beautiful and precious or whatever the flower is to you to show you how bad and painful to do this to it.

Okay using the flowers to symbolize a vagina is not a new idea (Georgia O Keefe’s work is enough) and a bit cliche-ish but here it’s perfect for the message to be delivered! I added the ads to my sidebar!!! They’re amazing!!!

(Click to enlarge on Flickr)

(Click to enlarge on Flickr)