Born and raised in Egypt, I was brought up to be a good middle class Egyptian girl; but somehow being good did not suit my notions. Deep down I have rejected the heavy heritage of traditions and norms that made no sense to my inquisitive mind. I could not understand why girls were killed, committed suicide, or lived in eternal shame when they lost their virginity. I failed to comprehend why such a rule applied only to girls and their male counterparts were spared. After my grand mother passed away we stopped celebrating Christmas, New Year's Eve, Halloween, and Thanks Giving … does being a Muslim deny me all my childhood memories? Why do I have to get married? Why can't I date? Why do men cheat? Why do I have to accept it? Why? Why? Why? And many more unanswered questions.
I have come a long way from the scared little girl that I once was … I found my passion in writing, my voice in teaching & training, and my strength in marketing … I took off my mask … and I decided to speak up and loud .. as loud as loud could ever be.
Latest posts by Marwa Rakha from September, 2009
Egypt: Blogging Farouk Hosni's Defeat
Egypt's Culture Minister Farouk Hosni has kept bloggers busy over the previous few days. His failed bid to secure a seat at the helm of UNESCO has polarised the blogosphere, with some even cooking up conspiracy theories to justify his defeat.
Egypt: Will Farouk Hosni be Unesco's Next Director General ?
Egypt's culture minister Farouk Hosny is vying for Unesco's top post. Marwa Rakha sums up the reactions of bloggers towards this nomination and the election process.
Egypt: Bloggers call for a fun-filled harassment-free Eid
As Eid Al Fitr approaches, women in Egypt are bracing themselves for even more sexual harassment than what has already become a disturbing norm. Bloggers and online activists are also joining forces to fight the phenomenon, calling for a fun-filled and harassment-free celebration.
Egypt: A Coptic Presidential Candidate?
A Copt has stated his intent to run for elections for Egypt's top post in the 2011 presidential race. Lawyer Mamdouh Ramzy, a member of the Constitutional Party, is venturing where many have failed.
Egyptians React to the Sudanese “Sin”
Sudanese UN female employee Lubna Hussein faced threats of imprisonment and flogging for the “sin” of wearing trousers in Khartoum - and her saga is far from over. Marwa Rakha sums up the reactions of Egyptian bloggers in this post.
Arab Women… Minors Until They Die
Though blessed with inner strength that enables them to deal with the shackles of their culture, some Arab women are dealt with as minors who will never reap the fruits of adulthood. Marwa Rakha brings us the voices of two bloggers who dared to speak up.
Egypt: Cairo Airport Security Strikes Again
Bikya Masr reported: “First, an American citizen was barred from entering the country last week and sent back to London. Now, a Palestinian-Norwegian mother of two was stopped by security as she attempted to board her flight to Amsterdam on Monday morning, being told she was a “national security risk”...
Egypt: Bad Boys Who do not Moderate Blog Comments
Journalist and blogger Khaled El Balshy has recently been subpoenaed by State Security and charged of slander because he did not delete a “bad” comment that was left on one of his blog posts dating back to 2007.
Egypt: Prison Awaits Those who don't Fast in Ramadan
For the first time in Egypt, the Ministry of Interior arrests Muslims who eat and drink in public during the fasting month of Ramadan. Marwa Rakha has the story.
Egypt: Two Coptic Orthodox Church Channels
After a series of failed attempts to launch a television channel for the Coptic faith in Egypt over the past 15 years, two channels were authorized and four more are in the pipeline.
Egypt: US “Activist” Travis Randall Deported
American journalist Travis Randall has been denied entry to Egypt and then deported. Bloggers react to his treatment in this round up of posts by Marwa Rakha.
Egypt: Tune in to the Naglaa El Emam Show
An Egyptian lawyer, with her share of controversy, is making the headlines again. This time it is because of her conversion to Christianity. Marwa Rakha has the story in this post.
