The art of belly dance has always been controversial in Egypt. As long as the body is covered it is not obstructed, but the dance is hardly shown on public television and more or less in decline (Gulf News). This doesn’t mean that this traditional oriental dance is completely out of sight. It has even become a tool of protest! The actress, singer and belly dancer Sama al-Masri uploaded some satirical songs while dancing seductively. She is not pro-revolutionary as she voted for Ahmed Shafiq, but she is not a fan of the Muslim Brotherhood either. 

by Charlie Crooijmans

In an interview the belly dancer said that she doesn’t really care about politics but the clashes on 12 October – pro-Muslim Brotherhood protesters versus liberal and leftist groups at the Tahrir Square – really angered her (Ahram Online). Before Samy al-Masri appeared in the news because of rumors of her secret affair with an ultra conservative member of parliament (Anwar al-Balkimy).

In the first video she uploaded in November she criticizes President Mohammed Mursi for his failed “Renaissance Project” (Al Arabiya News). The video became viral and the social media community welcomed the satirical song created and performed by a belly dancer. According to Mahmoud Salem of  Personal Democracy Media, she became a ‘symbol of the popular opposition and the revolution — a voice that spoke more clearly than most of Egypt’s secular politicians’ (Personal Democracy Media, Techpresident).

The videos has been deleted. In June 2020 this video was uploaded on YouTube..

This blog is updated on January 9, 2020