{"id":3967,"date":"2018-03-06T11:34:54","date_gmt":"2018-03-06T07:34:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.mbrsc.aud.edu\/MBRSCPost\/?p=3967"},"modified":"2018-03-06T19:28:18","modified_gmt":"2018-03-06T15:28:18","slug":"sherine-vs-the-nile-egypts-struggle-to-face-reality","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mbrsc.aud.edu\/MBRSCPost\/sherine-vs-the-nile-egypts-struggle-to-face-reality\/","title":{"rendered":"Sherine vs. the Nile: Egypt\u2019s Struggle to Face Reality?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Egyptian singer, Sherine Abdel-Wahab, has been sentenced to a six-month jail sentence after making what\u2019s being referred to as an \u201cill-humoured<\/a>\u201d joke where she warned fans from drinking from the Nile on stage in the United Arab Emirates.<\/p>\n

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\u201cYou\u2019ll get bilharzia,\u201d she said<\/a>. \u201cDrink Evian,\u201d she continued.<\/p>\n

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To the average modern Egyptian, this sounds like a recycled joke. However, to the patriotic Egyptian, this is an offense worthy of being taken to court<\/a>.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Ironically, the singer is the voice behind one of Egypt\u2019s most iconic patriotic songs, \u201cMashrebtesh Min Nilha\u201d (Haven\u2019t You Drank from Her Nile?). The song is a reminder to Egyptians to be grateful for their homeland.<\/p>\n

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Still, she received the sentence despite apologising<\/a> for \u201cmocking our dear Egypt\u201d on her Facebook page.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Generally, this whole situation is just baffling to me. Sherine might have given a slightly inaccurate statement by saying bilharzia, a disease caused by a parasitic worm, as a side effect of drinking from the Nile. The disease was prevalent many years ago, and a lot of lives were lost to it including the renowned singer Abdel Halim Hafez<\/a>, so her statement isn\u2019t completely false.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Additionally, according to Save The Water organization<\/a>, approximately 38 million Egyptians drink polluted water. So while bilharzia\u2019s prevalence is down to 0.2 percent<\/a>, Egyptians still suffer from other illnesses due to the Nile\u2019s pollution.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Maybe the reason officials reprimanded Sherine about her joke is the fact that she is a public figure; and that her statement was broadcast everywhere, especially after they made a big deal about it. Perhaps they\u2019re afraid of how it\u2019ll affect Egypt\u2019s relations and tourism.<\/p>\n

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But Egypt\u2019s tourism took a hit<\/a> after the Arab spring, with 2017 seeing only 8 million tourists as opposed to 2010 when 14.7 million tourists visited the country. Sherine\u2019s statement was just not big enough of a factor to affect Egypt\u2019s public image.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

This isn\u2019t exactly a defense for Sherine. As a concerned Egyptian journalist, this is a call for Egyptian authorities to handle truths regarding matters that might defame them better. She\u2019s not the first or last person to make a joke about the Nile\u2019s cleanliness. It seems that the joke isn\u2019t even so funny after all. It\u2019s a sad reality.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Photo credits: Instagram (@sherine)<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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