Thoughts

The Socialist World Trend

By Farah Osman

 

لوبتحبها, سيبها

No, this isn’t the Arabic version of the age-old adage “if you love something, set it free.” It is actually a campaign launched a few months ago in the governorates by conservative elements warning against premarital relationships. Not premarital sex, not extramarital affairs, but any romantic relationships between unwed men and women.

This is one in a long line of shocking incidents that have taken Egypt by surprise – the overwhelming rise of Salafis, Hazem Abou Ismail’s soap opera saga, and parliamentary discussions of legalizing FGM and repealing the sexual harassment law. At the basis of all these examples is one undeniable truth – there is a noticeable trend of what most dub “extremism” in Egypt. However, it is important to place things in context and realize that this trend is not uniquely Egyptian. Rather, there is a noticeable shift towards the extreme left and extreme right in global politics – instances of political extremism in their own right. 

While this has been a pressing issue in Egyptian politics (and the larger Middle East region) for some time now, the reason I am choosing to write this article now is because of two political issues that arose yesterday. Firstly, Francois Hollande was elected as the president of France. Formerly the First Secretary of the Socialist Party, Holland boldly declared in his acceptance speech “Je suis socialiste” – I am a socialist. While the Socialist party is a centre-left party, the cyberspace was set ablaze with outrage at this surprising turn of events in European politics as a leftist  (oh mon Dieu!) was being sworn into office.

Meanwhile, across continental Europe, the neo-Nazi Golden Dawn party won 22 seats in the Greek parliamentary elections. That’s right folks, you heard it right, neo-Nazis – complete with references to Aryan descent and “pure” Greek descent. While I can go into detail about my views of Hollande and the (quite honestly revolting) Golden Dawn, that is not what this article is about. It is about something much greater.

There is a noticeable shift in international politics. People are gravitating towards some sort extremism – socially, religiously and politically. This shift in global consciousness has many manifestations and varying results but one thing is for sure – there will be repercussions. In my opinion, this extremism is reactionary – a response to the current international order. We need to figure out what it is this is indicative of and how to remedy a clearly flawed system. 

WE SAID THIS: neo-Nazis in Mykonos? Maybe the Mayans do know what they’re talking about after all!

Farah Osman

Farah Osman is a graduate of International Law and International Relations from the American University in Cairo. A self-professed nerd and bookworm, Farah enjoys reading everything and anything that crosses her path. Her obsession with music leaves her prowling the internet for hours on end for new artists, songs and sounds. She enjoys making a fool out of herself, dislikes people who take themselves too seriously, loves cooking and watches more shows than she would like to admit. Deciding to go the “save-the-world-but-make-little money" route, Farah is committed to working in civil society. She is currently a Program Associate at the Education for Employment Foundation|Egypt, a non profit organization that provides training programs for high need unemployed youth and places them in private sector jobs. A truly eye-opening experience, it has given her a greater consciousness regarding the needs of youth in Cairo and further inspired her dedication to the betterment of living conditions in Egypt.

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