Do you really care about the Egyptian youth? Eh? You do? Go on Facebook and search for “Cairo Confessions“. You’ll either find it funny or really, really sad.
One of my private vices (slash guilty pleasures) and secret way of dealing with low-energy moments, depression or shit hitting my fan, is www.fmylife.com. This site is living proof that some people’s lives suck more than mine, although I don’t want to challenge the universe or karma on the matter.
I remember the first time I discovered the site. I was at the office with Z in one of my horrendous moods and she walked over to my screen and tapped three letters: F-M-L. “Don’t tell anyone, Jackie, but that’s what I do… try it.”
I’ve been addicted ever since. All those little windows into people’s messed up lives posted every minute of the day are so shocking that you end up bursting into tears of laughter, especially with competing votes for: “You deserved it” or “Your life sucks”.
Then the day came when a similar, Egyptian-ized version popped up on my Facebook feed. “Confessions?”, I thought. “Meh, let’s see what it’s all about”.
THE HORROR (This is not for the faint at heart.)
Post topics range from female genital mutilation to parents encouraging their children to pick “richer” friends to a mix of truly delusional relationship posts. There are girls torn between the morals they were taught and so-called freedom, teens begging for help to stop “the curse” of masturbating, children posting about porn-addicted fathers, women trying to justify abuse by their partners, teenagers so lost in their empty lives asking for someone, anyone, to offer something meaningful to live for, girls suffering from eating disorders and struggling to express themselves… I dare you to click these links.
https://www.facebook.com/Cairos.confessions/posts/625290397511675
https://www.facebook.com/Cairos.confessions/posts/627444660629582
https://www.facebook.com/Cairos.confessions/posts/628369343870447
https://www.facebook.com/Cairos.confessions/posts/626607414046640
And what’s worse? The comments and feedback.
For instance, on the FGM issue, you’ll find a plethora of religious justifications for female circumcision and angry, personal attacks against the poster, calling her a whore because she questioned how this would affect her intimate relationship in the future. And curses all around for anyone who dares to offer a contrary opinion or provide scientific information on FGM. Girls are either shamed and insulted or “advised” to go back to God and beg for forgiveness.
Also, apparently, praying to God will end that pesky masturbation curse. And a severely underweight girl who is starving herself and over-exercising should keep it up so she won’t get fat again! But most commentators seem to be satisfied with a simple “Go kill yourself” response.
You want to know what some people think of female circumcision? Read this:
“excuse me; bs kol l females elly f 3eltk 3amalo nfs l 3amalya w mafesh 7d 2all “That it so bad, makes me sexually cold” !! w mafesh 7d fehom 2shtka w 2al 7aga 2orayba mn kda 5als, w b3den enty hat3rfy mnen eza konty f3ln sexually cold wenty aslun lessa matgwztesh ?! enty m7taga wa2t 3shan t3rfy 7aga zy kda, kol l bnat ta2rebn 3amalo nfs l 3amalya w kolohom 3ayshen zy l foll w 2olayel gdn elly bayol “cold” w baykon l sabb 7agat tanya 3amtn msh bsbb l 3amalya y3ney ! w bl nesba l mawdo3 leh rbna 5ala2na kda ?! sad2eny deh bda2eyt l doubts :S !! balash t2oly kda w 2oly aked rbna 3ando 7ekma mn enno ye5l2na kda w matnsesh n l males bay3mlo nfs l 3amalya deh bardo ! so l 3amalya deh msh bs ll bnat, ” males and females”.
isA 5eer w kol 7aga hatkon zy l foll, and don’t blame your parents 3la 7aga homma aslun malhomsh QARAR feha ! enty momkn t-blame your parents 3lal madrsa bta3tk aw 3la ay 7aga homma elly bay5do QARAR feha ! enma 7aga zy kda la2 ! 3shan dah klam RBNA msh kalmhom homma”
Praying is the typical answer given to most cries for help and there’s no constructive feedback whatsoever. The overzealous religious preaching just makes the point for me that we really are going backwards in time, faster than any of us thought possible.
Simply put, discovering Cairo Confessions was NOT funny for me. I can’t go back to reading my FMLs and I can’t stop going to CC.
It’s filled with problems that I thought I would NEVER see in certain levels of society, things I never imagined would exist today. I mean, female genital mutilation? Isn’t that medieval? Isn’t that usually confined to poor, illiterate, rural areas? It can’t be a problem of someone educated abroad or living around us, right? How can we accept people being blinded by those preaching sick ideas under religious flags? And shouldn’t parents know better than to advise their children to seek friendship in money?
And you thought your life sucked. We don’t even have proper mental health counseling or services. You go to a therapist in this country and most of them would prescribe you Prozac and advise you to “pray”.
Lord help us all.