EGYPT: ACTRESSES IN CAIRO ARE COVERING UP, INCLUDING VEILS

Hollywood fashion eclipsed by Islam as actresses cover up
From Robert Twigger in Cairo

SOMETHING big is happening in Cairo — the Hollywood of the Middle East. Actresses are getting overtly religious and wearing the Islamic headscarf, or even the veil.

The move has roused controversy in the country that dominates the Arab film business and where actresses were traditionally a class apart, more akin to belly dancers and other bohemian entertainers.

There are two types of veiled actress: those who retired to lead a pious life but have made startling comebacks, and those who continue to perform but this year have switched to wearing the hijab. Both decisions appear to have been influenced by growing fundamentalism and religious conservatism. For 30 years Egyptians have been working in the Gulf and Saudi Arabia and returning home richer and more conservative.

Hanan Turk is the most celebrated recent convert to the hijab. An Arab Penelope Cruz, her decision prompted Yusef Chahine, a Cannes awardwinning Egyptian director, to say: “She must have gone crazy.” Turk replied: “Iranian cinema, in which actresses appear in headscarves, is a very sophisticated role model.”

Osama Anwar Okasha, a top Egyptian screenwriter who caused a furore a few years ago with his depiction of early Islamic leaders, said: “Iran is a country ruled by Mullahs, very different from Egypt.” The implication was that Iranians had to wear scarves whereas Egyptians still had the choice.

Okasha told The Times that he was puzzled by those who had condemned acting as a sin only to make a comeback. “It is utter hypocrisy,” he said. “Those actresses have witnessed their colleagues making millions; they are back to have a share of the pie.”

Soheir Ramzy has returned after a 13-year absence. In the 1970s she was a top sex symbol.
Now she is in a Ramadan soap opera as a mother who is also a doctor. She is as flamboyant as before, with her headscarves dotted with glitter. She said: “I am surprised that my comeback, and that of other ‘veiled’ actresses, has caused such a stir. I am convinced I can play parts that befit my status as a veiled Muslim woman.” She added: “It is a coincidence that I returned to acting at the same time as other veiled actresses, like Sabrin, and Soheir al-Bably.”

Ramzy was said to have been paid three million Egyptian pounds (£280,000) for her soap role, one of the biggest fees yet in the Egyptian entertainment business. She insisted: “I was told [by clerics] I could act as long as there were no nude scenes.”

Such moves signal a huge change in social values and the end of the West’s moral influence.

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