I hadn’t heard of Sherif Gaber until his recent tweet caused enough media to hit my world. This young man is an activist who lives in Egypt. That alone is dangerous. He also speaks out for women’s rights and is a self-proclaimed atheist.
Gulp.
After checking out some videos made by Gaber, I found his arguments to perfectly sane. He shows footage of religious cray-crays explaining how and why you must beat women into submission, to include when they don’t put out. Sherif also discusses other absurdities such as an unspoken license to attack burka-clad woman in public, without recourse, for the crime of walking like a prostitute.
In one video, Gaber’s best statement is actually a visual one by means of an insightful juxtaposition. Clips of irate biblical rants of men are intermixed with footage of beautifully happy women enjoying nature at its finest as they surf the waves and swim in the ocean.
It isn’t hard to figure out which is more Godly, even for atheists.
So, how do we help Sherif Gaber? Should he be plucked up by a forgiving nation?
There is a good argument that activists should transform culture from within. It is also hard to argue that one man should be saved when millions of women and other men are enduring the same plight. Some people even dispute Gaber’s story, believing he is a scammer since he is asking the public for help with his legal fund.
Any con artist would be doubly doomed both for blasphemy and for the scam. As such, the message should prevail. It isn’t hard to believe such speak makes Gaber a goner in Egypt. His talk of suicide is a disturbing preference to jail and/or torture and/or murder.
Sherif Gaber’s full tweet reads: “I’m on the verge of committing suicide. I tried everything. I can’t see hope. I really feel the end now. Get me out of here I’m dying. Please.”
I hope someone can help Sherif Gaber out of his nightmare so he can continue to effect change from without. His posts are relevant, and the best allies that women have are men that publicly plead their case.
Wilfred Knight
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Sherif Gaber’s “A Message to Every Arab Girl”
