In the heart of an Islamic cemetery that 1.5 million Egyptians call home, a cultural initiative led by a Polish architect is bringing graffiti, sculptures, and handcraft workshops to an area plagued by stigma. Valentina Primo speaks to Agnieszka Dobrowolska, the woman behind the project. Feb 01,2017 A’m Mosaad is sitting outside his carpentry workshop, a...
Her exhausted, bare feet step on the carpet with ceremonial reverence as she leaves her plastic sandals at the doorstep. The house floor is not paved, but the straw carpet keeps the living room immaculate. Three large sofas frame the room, but there is no table at the center. In fact, there is not a...
After she was imprisoned in her native land, Ilili Jamal escaped Ethiopia’s persecution of the Oromo in a torturous three-week-long journey to take refuge in Egypt. Oct 02,2016 Ilili Jamal didn’t know that she was pregnant when they arrested her. She realised it sometime throughout the torturous five months she spent in prison, as she...
Persecuted, unlawfully arrested, and murdered in their homeland, Oromo refugees flee Ethiopia only to face rejection in Egypt. After two men immolated themselves in Cairo last month, Valentina Primo delves into one of the nation’s most neglected refugee crises. Aug 17,2016 Dawn had just broken when Abdallah* heard someone banging on the door. Staggering his...
If you came to Gharb Suheil, you would probably remain as shocked as I was. You would probably wonder how people manage to survive in a town so seemingly paused in time. You would wonder why people instantly invite you to their homes, where there’s always more seats than their own. You would find yourself...
In most of the world intra-familial marriage is considered blatantly taboo but in many countries, including Egypt, the practice remains commonplace. Valentina Primo meets three cousin couples to talk societal norms, parental pressure, and the potentially dangerous medical ramifications. Feb 13,2016 A washed winter sunset is looming through the window of this cosy flat in...
Statistics indicate that the Christian population across the Middle East has dropped from 13.6% to 4.2% in the past century. As the Egyptian Christian community continues to decrease, Valentina Primo speaks to those leaving the country to unveil the reasons behind this post-modern exodus. Feb 06,2016 “I’m leaving. I don’t want to live in a...
Forty-five kilometres away from Egypt’s chaotic capital, across the palm-tree-framed highway that leads to the satellite city of 6th of October, there is a bustling neighbourhood that breathes the scents of Syria. At the heart of it stands Alaa Eddin Street, a pedestrian road brimming with Syrian cafés, mahshi restaurants and boza stores, where the...
There is a massive cyber-library of gruesome books and articles revolving around the dangers of intercultural marriage, especially when it involves an Arab man, resulting in a global stereotype that configures nothing but prejudice. But is there no experience at the other end of the spectrum? CairoScene speaks to six women and delves into their stories of...
Unorthodox, independent, and intrinsically non-stereotypical, Muslim feminists challenge both Western liberal and Muslim clichés. Valentina Primo speaks to two Egyptian feminist women about religion, culture, and their refusal to be typecast into categories they do not recognise themselves. Jan 04,2016 “Feminism can be counterproductive. Look at mainstream white feminists, or as I like to call...
