Last night I was dancing on the Pharaoh boat and was told by
the staff that there was a VIP table in so to be careful.
This happens fairly often. I always reply in the same way, ‘all
my audience are VIP to me’.
Then they explained, ‘no Lorna, I mean don’t go up close
to them’ etc. It turns out they were the heads of Al Azhar. Not the sheiks
themselves, but the men who sign the forms to allow people to be sheiks there.
The ‘ministers’ of the ancient Islamic university that guides the majority of
the middle east in it thinking of how to match what is said in the koran to
modern day situations.
I can’t deny it, I was nervous going on stage knowing the
tables directly in front of me were very likely to disapprove. Then i told
myself that they still chose to come here knowing there would be a dancer, so
if it didn’t put them off then i wasn’t going to allow myself to be put off
either. Not an easy task when other audience members were walking over to their
table and shaking hands with them and asking for their photo to be taken with
them. I haven’t even seen that type of reaction from the guests on the boat when we
have had famous actors and singers come to the Pharaoh before.
At first they turned their backs as much as they could. Then,
gradually, they relaxed. By the end of my show they were clapping along and
filming my dance and asking me to have their photo taken with me! I was so
impressed by them! They understood and acted on the true message within Islam
which it comes to a man’s reaction to a woman.
That control needs to happen within a man’s mind. To be able
to look at a woman, and not have ‘bad’ thoughts about her takes more strength
and self control than ordering her to cover herself. The Koran actually says
that a man should draw a veil across his eyes. These men showed self restraint
and self control. I don’t see this
attitude enough. It is so sad. Even a well trained dog can be shown a bone and
sit still until told it’s ok to ‘fetch’. Most men in Egypt haven’t even managed
to train themselves this well when they see a bit of flesh (even just if it is
a bit of arm!)
Well done those gentlemen.... I thank you.
You took responsibility
for your own actions and didn’t care who saw that.
You have given me a ray of
hope that even if the government becomes more ‘islamic’ then perhaps things don’t
have to change for the worse in this colourful country I have adopted as my
own. I hope more people can be educated to such a level and only then will
there be hope for the women in Egypt!
