Friday March 29th, 2024
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Belly Dancers “Perform” At Lycée, Does Not End Well

All we used to get back then was a happy meal and a pat on the back from the headmistress.

Staff Writer

This past Thursday, the generous (and not very tactful) folks over at Lycée Al-Haram school decided to hire three belly dancers to perform at a party honouring the school’s tippy-top students. Unfortunately (and unsurprisingly), Egypt’s education authorities didn’t take a shine to the celebrations, swiftly suspending two education officials responsible for the heinous act.

The video shows three fairly tame belly dancers “performing” on a makeshift stage at the school, much to the entertainment (and bewilderment) of their young audience. Following the exposure of the criminal performance, the school’s dean as well as the Ministry of Education’s undersecretary for the school district have been suspended pending investigation. “Hiring belly-dancers to perform inside a school is a matter that violates traditions and educational rules,”  Ahmed Khairy, spokesman for the Ministry of Education said in a statement, adding that Minister Tareq Shawi will “take the necessary measures.”

The school took it upon themselves to apologize on social media, calling its decision to hire a trio of belly dancers “an error.” Eloquent to say the least.

Belly dancers are often a topic of debate despite their portrayal of a more festive aspect of Middle-Eastern culture, one that routinely finds its way into the press in one form or another.