The Arabic sex language has very restricted vocabulary when it comes to sex, and a lot of it is also considered vulgar. Because of this, women find it difficult to talk about sexuality in Arabic. This creates a taboo and stigma that falls on them. Women in Arab countries do not have the language they need to discuss sex respectfully, resulting in some very uncomfortable situations.
El Feki says that it is difficult to encourage women in the Arab world to talk openly about their sex lives. This is because sex in the Arab world is the antithesis of sport. Rather than talking about sport, women in the Arab world talk about their intimate lives, and no one wants to talk about it. El Feki’s book explores the realities of contemporary sex in the Arab world.
“Arab sex culture has no culture of consent.” Shereem El Feki, a practicing Muslim who lives in Canada, has an opinion on Arab sex. She is a former vice chair of the U.N.’s Global Commission on HIV and Law, and a former health care reporter for the Economist. Her views are alarming.
Arab men used women as “messengers” between them and women. They believed women had more knowledge of women than men did, and they were more likely to understand women’s secrets. As a result, women excelled at procuring prostitutes. This profession was even given a name: “wise mothers.”
Arab men will discuss sex only when it’s appropriate. They will condemn books and movies that feature sexual references, and they will condemn sexually active youth. And despite this, they will marry and exchange hands with their wives and mistresses. This is a typical Arab sex culture.
Despite the widespread religious tolerance, there are still some restrictions on homosexuality in the Arab world. While homosexuality in Egypt is not prohibited, it is deemed forbidden in many Arab countries. Prostitution and abortion laws in Tunisia and Morocco are among the most liberal in the region. Lebanon is the gay capital of the Arab World. However, the book is too narrowly focused to discuss the issues of homosexuality in other Arab countries.
While many men in the Arab world identify as gay, many of them do not want the labels. The Arab world is a more fluid place than most. This means that Arab men are not always labelled as gay, but many of them have sex with other men without being labeled as gay.
However, some Arab countries are finally taking a step forward in bringing sex education to their children. For example, Tunisia is launching a sex education program for elementary and middle school children, becoming the first Arab country to do so. The new program will also provide protection for children from sexual harassment and rape. The initiative was announced by the Tunisian Association of Reproductive Health in late November.
Arab feminist organizations also have a strong presence on social media. One such organization is Mauj, a pan-Arab initiative run by Palestinian, Saudi, and Egyptian women. It has over 30 thousand followers on Facebook. Another is Love Matters Arabic, a social network with over 80,000 followers. Lastly, Deemah Salem, a gynecologist in Dubai, is educating Arab women about sex and women’s health. She has over 18,000 followers and is a popular blogger.
Although El Feki is close to Islam, he doesn’t criticize the religion. He does, however, dismiss other major religions in the Arab World. Among these are the Christians, who make up a relatively small minority, but El Feki does not discuss them at all. This means that sex in the Arab world has a sexy history.
Another country in the Middle East that has made a step forward in women’s rights is Tunisia. While women’s rights are generally not very well protected in the country, the #MeToo movement has gained momentum in Tunisia. After a woman posted a picture of a politician masturbating outside of a high school, the scandal has been escalated. While Zouheir Makhlouf, a Tunisian politician, has denied the allegations and defended himself with parliamentary immunity, the case is still being investigated.
It is a well-known fact that in the Arab world, the incidence of HIV is on the rise, especially among young people. The widespread reluctance to use protection is one of the causes for this. The best protection against most STIs is barrier protection. Not wearing a barrier protection is like playing russian roulette, as it is dangerous and can lead to life-threatening infection.
