In this thread 👇 I want to explain a little bit more of the context surrounding the campaign of arrests, prosecutions & jail of women in #Egypt under "morality" charges that @HRW documented 15 of since late April, and why it's horrifying hrw.org/news/2020/08/1… 
This campaign is NOT a "side" effect of oppression in Egypt. Neo-patriarchy is, by definition, a core doctorine of the nationwide oppressive machinery revived to its fullest following 2013 military takeover & re-vitalized & inspired by conservative, populist military rules (Sisi)
first: you get struck knowing that arrests targeted women for videos & photos of themselves dancing or singing on TikTok, Instagram & other apps. All those accounts (except one marginal anonymous without followers) contain "ordinary" footage. women in full clothes. nothing more.
If by any measure these videos of young women dancing were "sexually suggestive" as authorities say, they should then shut down half of Egypt's Nile Sat channels that broadcast 24h Arabic and English song videos & perhaps erase Egypt's history of cinema industry.
in early May, Egypt's prosecutor general issued a threatening (but revealing) statement about the need to protect the society against "forces of evil" that use the cyberspace to destroy morals. Terminology & discourse we hear a lot from President #Sisi's mouth.
The statement was followed by escalating prosecutions. Women sentenced to 2 and 3 years for "undermining family values." In July, another statement saying the general prosecution’s role requires not only prosecuting criminals but also acting as “a guardian of social norms."
One can't read this separate from Sisi's vision as explained by his many statements since 2016. He said many times that he's responsible for "protecting Islam" & for people's morals & religion. From 2017 onward, his intelligence penetrated & monopolized reuters.com/article/us-egy…
As someone who served (mandatory) armed service in the Egyptian army & an observer of politics in Egypt, I know how deeply conservative, regressive, patriarchal Egyptian military is. Those who blindly supported Sisi's endeavor against his Islamist foes were ignorant or hypocrite
this comes as no surprise to many following Egypt closely. But it's relevant for Egypt's secular elite who couldn't care less about human rights & more now for western powers & neo-orientalists (particularly Macron & France) who repeat mistakes. foreignpolicy.com/2020/07/20/all…
Arab rulers have also sought to appear as guardians of Islam & morals, particularly in their pursuit of appearing "no less religious" than their political Islam foes. Sisi's endeavor is nothing new to this. nytimes.com/2016/01/10/wor…
That's particularly why these recent women's arrests are "horrifying." It's not just about these victims. It's about drawing new borders for culture & morality. This comes in line with ongoing efforts in several aspects such as Sisi's war on books. theatlantic.com/international/…
As a proponent of Sharabi's "Neo-Patriarchy" theory he explained brilliantly in 1989, predicting the Arab uprisings & that they would be overcome by a wave of neo-patriarchy (Sisi & military) or patriarchy (ISIS), I feel obliged to mention it here. merip.org/1989/11/sharab…
This atmosphere creates the viscous circle of patriarchy/neo-patriarchy in MENA societies. And this is precisely what many western leaders help perpetuate, particularly French, US Republicans & right-wingers in many EU countries, by supporting dictators like SISI.
