‘Foreign Policy’ puts out a swimsuit issue

by on April 26, 2011 8
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Foreign Policy runs a cheesecake story with photos from Alexandria's beaches in the '50s, to prove what I'm not sure-- the fluidity of culture, the error of the burqa, the radicalization that is Zionism, or Islamism, or just a naked cry for traffic? 

About Philip Weiss

Philip Weiss is Founder and Co-Editor of Mondoweiss.net.
Posted in Israel/Palestine

{ 8 comments... read them below or add one }

  1. Avi says:
    April 26, 2011 at 2:59 pm

    The piece is titled after a similar article Foreign Policy had published about Afghanistan in which it shows how foreign invasions and meddling transformed the country from a flourishing secular state to a country in ruins, both socially and economically.

    link to foreignpolicy.com

  2. pabelmont says:
    April 26, 2011 at 3:00 pm

    Was this Farouk’s time? Rich playboys cavorting? Were Cuba’s beaches like this too? Dictators and mobs in charge? And are there dictators and mobs in charge in America, where near-naked bathing is not entirely unknown? All this, indeed, proves, I know not what.

    BTW, neither F/P nor you suggests it, but burqa is not an error, it is just not a requirement of Islam (as such). It is undoubtedly cultural and pre-Islamic (see wikipedia on this). Many Islamic societies do not require it and the interpretation of modesty required by Islam varies country-to-country.

    Ever wonder when circumcision came in? It was practiced in “ancient Egypt” maybe 5500 BC, and may be a social custom (like wearing burqa, that pre-dated Islam) that pre-dated Judaism.

  3. seafoid says:
    April 26, 2011 at 4:28 pm

    Egypt is a mess. The population over 60 years developed as follows :

    1950- 21.514m
    1955 – 24.378m
    1960- 27.798m
    1965- 31.573m
    1970- 35.575m
    1975- 39.599m
    1980 -44.433m
    1985-50.655m
    1990- 57.785m
    1995- 63.858m
    2000- 70.174m
    2005-77.154m
    2010- 84.470m

    and as it grew life got more chaotic and people turned to the comfort of religion just as they do in the Southern states of the US.

    Alex used to be beautiful city. Now it is mostly run down. A bit like what happened to Detroit.

    Of course it didn’t help having Israel as a neighbour. 4 wars set it back too.

    The FT reports food price inflation of 50%. Egypt has a major overpopulation problem.

    Have any of you read “Planning the family in Egypt” by Kamran Asdar Ali? It gives one of the best descriptions of life in the Cairo sprawl I have come across.

  4. Donald says:
    April 26, 2011 at 5:02 pm

    “cheesecake…or just a naked cry for traffic? ”

    You could learn from this Phil. I’m just sayin’.

  5. Lydda Four Eight says:
    April 27, 2011 at 2:44 am

    those pictures were taken after Farouk was ousted (July 23, 1952). these pictures aren’t unique my parents have similar photos for Gaza beaches.

  6. Kathleen says:
    April 27, 2011 at 8:39 am

    I think it demonstrates that Egypt and other countries in the neighborhood were at times far more progressive and less restrictive before more extreme influences took hold. Ebb and flow.

    Remember how the U.s. and the U.K. overthrew a democratically elected leader in Iran who was going to nationalize the oil and gas