Från en svensk horisont i Kairo

Abstract

Many Egyptians are becoming weary of being depicted as barbarians who maltreat young girls. Questioning the aims of Westerners and critiquing their lack of knowledge, Egyptians wonder why the West sees the question of female circumcision as central. This artide delves into the difficulties Westerners may have in entering an Egyptian women's world, especially in times of triumph for Islamic ideas and a concomitant skepticism toward the West. Western lifestyles are by no means perceived as ideal in Egypt — on the contrary, Swedish lifestyles, for example, might be held up as cautionary tales. If Swedish women travel to Egypt in order to study female circumcision without any specific insights into this question or any general understanding of or respect for the local culture, their efforts niight backiire.