By Maryam Raafat Having a tattoo made of the word ‘Mum' was Shaimaa's way to express her deep love for her mother who had passed away.But, turning over in her mind what other people would think of her doing this, Shaimaa Esmail, 28 year-old, hesitated long over doing it. Traditionally, permanently tattooing the body has long been considered a sin in Islam. According to scholars, this is because it involves "mutilating" the body, changing Allah's creation, inflicting unnecessary pain and introducing the possibility of infection. Eventually, however, this didn't prevent her from having the tattoo done. "I wanted to do it on my Mum's first birthday after her death, as a gift that would stay on my skin forever," she told the Egyptian Mail. A new fatwa by Egypt's former Grand Mufti, Ali Gomaa, challenges the traditional view. He stated that inking was permissible for girls, but a sin for boys. "The new tattoo technique that does not inflict pain or spill blood is a tool for decoration, so it is permissible for girls to have a tattoo done," Gomaa said on one of his talk shows. "However for boys, it's like a boy putting on lipstick or nail polish. It's imitating women and that is forbidden in Islam," Gomaa added. Many people have tattoos done for personal reasons, such as to remember a loved one or show their political or religious affiliations. Motivations fall under a wide spectrum. Despite alleged religious prohibition, a tattooing trend is now growing here. Tattoos first spread among Christians rather than Muslims, as they used to tattoo the cross on their hands and on their children's hands as well. Many may think it is part of Christianity but it is not a religious tradition. Christians used to tattoo the cross in past times of persecution to show they were proud to be Christian and would never abandon their religion. Magdy Ghobrial, one of the oldest and most famous tattoo artists works in Abi Serga Church in Old Cairo, making tattoos of crosses and saints photos. He has done this for 25 years. In front of his small table that holds his instruments – a drawing machine, medical gauze, cotton, betadine and very thin syringes – stands a long queue of adults and youngsters. Some are parents with their children. All are waiting their turn to have tattoos made. "I taught myself. I practised for many years until it became my only job. The most important part of my job is the sterilisation of my instruments in order to prevent any disease that can be transferred by blood," Ghobrial told the Mail. "Cleanliness starts with using one syringe for each person. Then, after finishing the tattoo, it is very important to put on Betadine and wrap the place of the tattoo with a piece of cotton and medical gauze. You keep it there for half an hour and then wash with water," Ghobrial added. Ghobrial's clients are not only Christians. Muslims also come to him for tattoos. "We come to Aam (uncle) Magdy becuse his prices are affordable," said Ahmed Mostafa, a 20-year-old student who had a tattoo made of an English word and the leaf of a tree. "There are guys who come and want me to draw draggers, swords, photos of iconic singers, like Om Kalthoum, but the church prevents me from drawing anything but crosses, saints, flowers, quotes and other simple drawings," Ghobrial said. As there are people who go to Ghobrial for his affordable prices, there are others who go to specialist artists who draw more complicated themes using a variety of colours and techniques. Bishoy Ezzat is a tattoo artist who started this work as a hobby. He used to sell clothes and then he shifted to tattooing. "It all started when I was sitting with a friend who was a tattoo artist and I joked about his work. I told him that it was very easy work and that anybody could do it. So, he challenged me to make him a tattoo. I tried and I did it," Ezzat said. "After that, I loved the idea so much that I started watching instruction videos. Then I decided to take up tattoo art as a job," Ezzat said. He started doing tattoos for his friends and after that he set up a Facebook page to publish his work. Then, shortly after that, he opened his own workplace and became one of the most trusted tattoo artists. "To do a good tattoo, it is very important to use good quality materials. I usually import them from America. You also have to know the different kinds of skin because each skin and skin colour needs a different ink of a specific colour," he explained. Most of his clients are people aged between 18 and 35 and girls, according to Ezzat, tend to go in for tattoos more than boys.
