Op-ed: Learn about sex in Egypt

Bikya Masr previously reported on the serious lack of sex education in Egypt and its drastic consequences. Now that we are ten years into the 21st century, it is imperative that Egypt provides its 80 million and rapidly growing population with accurate, basic information on sexual and reproductive health.
There are many angles from which to tackle this problem. On one side, effective government intervention is necessary. However, this alone is not enough. Co-operation and acceptance by community and religious leaders is a must. A typical Western approach will do no good in a country where populist preachers and local sheikhs are sometimes more trusted than scientific experts. For this reason, any approach to sex ed must be integrated in a religious context, not for any particular benefit, but to convince the public to accept a controversial issue. What better way to do this than through religion?
The first and most important step is obviously to formally integrate sex education into school curricula. No tiptoeing around the subject or trying to term it “health education”. There must be regular school periods allocated for teaching students what they need to know. This in itself is the hardest step and the main obstacle. Religious clerics represent the main obstacle here. Grand Imam of Al Azhar, Sheikh Mohamed Sayed Tantawi issued a fatwa in 2005 ruling that same sex provisions are meaningless in Islam, because Islam forbids extramarital sex. In the same year, Al Azhar’s research academy ruled against sex education in schools or education institutions in Islam countries. Grand Mufti Ali Gomaa has also rejected the idea that children be taught safe sex or how to avoid pregnancy and STDs.
These outdated beliefs are no longer of any use. Such opposition to sex education stems from the erroneous belief that sex ed will somehow encourage students to engage in extramarital sex. As if the only thing preventing them from doing so is the lack of birth control. Any high school boy in Egypt will tell you that sex is the topic that forms the substance of most of his conversations with his friends. Clerics need to realize that sex education will not somehow put ideas into students’ head. Sex is alive and well in every young man’s mind. Instead of encouraging them to get faulty information from their friends and pornography, they should be given proper, healthy information from certified specialists. Sex ed will not lead to a rise in extramarital sex. Extramarital sex happens in Egypt; young and old; we just don’t talk about it.
Sex education curricula should be written and taught by a variety of specialists. Naturally, we will need help from foreign experts since they are bound to know more about sexology than any Egyptian. In addition, Egyptian psychologists are needed, who understand the dynamics of the Egyptian psyche and how it interacts with their culture, traditions and religion. For example, the American Psychiatric Association’s recognition of homosexuality as a normal and positive variant of sexual orientation is not going to sit well with Egyptians. It would be best to leave out such bombshells; at least for the present.
Sex ed should begin at a very early age. Children at the kindergarten stage should be taught the concept of “private parts” and how such body parts are not to be touched or seen by others. Yes, this seems obvious, but is lacking in Egypt. This would help to combat child sexual abuse; regrettably a problem prevalent in Egypt but never talked about. Raising children’s awareness will help them recognize when something wrong is happening and help them speak up.
The content of sex ed curricula will be pretty much the same as in any other country with some additions. Thorough information on puberty and sexual development should be made available, in addition to information on STDs, safe sex and contraception. It is embarrassing that there are medical students who will be doctors in two years who have never seen a condom. Girls who are raped or have unprotected sex during secret relationships and urfi marriages (the boy usually runs away and refuses to assume responsibility in the event that she becomes pregnant) need to know that there is such a thing as the morning after pill available in all pharmacies without prescription. There’s no need to teach them how to induce an abortion; a religious and legal crime in Egypt. They can easily find that out online. Plus, more emphasis should be placed on masturbation; an act believed by many to cause weak eyesight, infertility, semen depletion and God’s wrath (the latter thanks to our religion teachers). There is nothing wrong with allowing boys to explore their sexuality through masturbation, since extramarital sex is strictly forbidden by culture. Girls should learn about their external genitalia and sexual desire, another topic deliberately ignored, since girls are encouraged to remain “innocent and blank” until marriage. Finally, misconceptions about virginity, the hymen and those few drops of blood on the wedding night must be answered.
Next comes the problem of teaching. Who should be responsible for teaching students about sex? Certainly not religion teachers. Certified and trained specialists will do the teaching in a professional manner. Boys and girls will be separated, with male teachers for boys and females for girls. Cultural standards won’t have it any other way, and it allows the girls to be more at ease without fear of embarrassment.
Parents will undoubtedly tell their students not to attend such filth. Here is where force regrettably comes in. Students must be forced to attend these sessions, with penalties for those who don’t. It would be preferable to organize sessions for parents as well, to explain to them the purpose of sex ed and that it does not contradict religious values in any way.
Sex education should span all stages of education, with the basics starting in kindergarten. It should continue all the way through school and university. Special emphasis is important for medical students, since these will be the future doctors whom people trust to give them accurate information. Even education for adults is essential, particularly in rural areas. This is a difficult task, where circumcision and underage marriage are still a problem.
Finally, there comes the problem of combating resistance. All efforts can go to waste if religious clerics and obstinate parents continue to interfere. The time children spend in school must be extended to minimize their parents’ influence. At the same time, religious clerics and local sheikhs must be carefully monitored. With the rising tide of religiosity in all aspects of life, it is these figures that are trusted most. All sheikhs employed by the government must be given strict instructions to educate the public about the benign, beneficial nature of sex ed. Persuading the public that there is nothing “haram” about sex education is the key to acceptance. As for Salafi telepreachers and sheikhs that grace satellite TV 24/7, they are not an obstacle to simply sex education, but to progress in general. With the enormous popularity they have garnered in recent years, we have no choice but to get rid of them.
BM