{"id":596178,"date":"2019-08-20T04:00:44","date_gmt":"2019-08-20T04:00:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/egypt\/2019\/08\/20\/egypts-use-of-blackface-is-coming-under-fire\/"},"modified":"2019-08-20T04:00:44","modified_gmt":"2019-08-20T04:00:44","slug":"egypts-use-of-blackface-is-coming-under-fire","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/egypt\/2019\/08\/20\/egypts-use-of-blackface-is-coming-under-fire\/","title":{"rendered":"Egypt\u2019s use of blackface is coming under fire"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/a> The use of blackface has become common in comedy shows in Egypt and the region, but is coming under increasing criticism<\/b>, Declan Walsh writes for the New York Times<\/a>. Walsh notes that several actors, including Egypt\u2019s Shaimaa Seif<\/a>, have defended their appearance in blackface as \u201ca harmless joke,\u201d but many are calling out these comedy shows for their racism, which frequently targets Sudanese people. \u201cWhatever the intent of such performances, critics say they amplify a tolerance of racism that takes many forms in the Arab world. Slavery was not formally abolished in some Persian Gulf countries until 1970. In many places, the word \u2018abeed,\u2019 meaning slaves or servants, is still the racial epithet of choice for dark-skinned people,\u201d Walsh says.<\/p>\n

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