Fév
22
“Like many Arab countries, Egypt is a nation where much is publicly forbidden, yet still finds space to thrive “tehet el-tarabeza” – or under the table, as Egyptians would say. A search of Google Trends reveals that last year Egyptians were the fifth biggest group of Internet users worldwide to search for terms like “sex.” As has been pointed out by the Egyptian blogger Moftasa, a quick glance at Google Insight shows how these kind of searches drop significantly during the holy month of Ramadan, when presumably plenty of observant Muslims decide to give up their backroom habits for the good of their religion. The data provides a fascinating insight into the status of pornography in the Middle East. Demand for the product is apparently just as high; but then so too is the public censure surrounding its use. This week’s proposal from the Al-Nour Party is not the first time Egyptians have been faced with a ban on blue movies. In 2009 a court issued a ruling which prohibited pornographic websites – an order which was dismissed as unworkable by the then-government of Mubarak. Last year, a court in Tunisia, now governed by the Ennahda Party, ordered the country’s Internet authority to impose a ban on pornography.”
THE DAILY STAR :: News :: Local News :: Porn storm reveals cleft in Egypt attitudes
