Description

The veil is not just religious symbol; it is a political and social tool that carries a host of meanings. Thus the incorporation of the veil into Arab-produced amateur and professional pornographic material calls into question many issues concerning agency, sexual mores, and symbolic violence in the Middle East. In my paper, I will examine the trend of munaqqabah (veiled) pornography, and will review some of the statistics related to the consumption of pornography specific to the region as a whole. In doing so, some indicative conclusions regarding the effects of the worsening socio-economic situation for Arab youth will be made; I also hope to inspire further research into this neglected area.

Pornography is considered immoral by the vast majority of people and institutions in the Middle East. And yet there is considerable evidence that for certain segments of the population- namely males between the ages of 15-30- pornography is widely consumed and even produced. For example, Egypt typically ranks among the top countries searching the Internet for the term “sex”; a 2007 survey found that 70 percent of files on Saudi Arabian teenager’s phones were pornographic in nature. These statistics echo wider regional trends concerning the consumption of pornographic material. Furthermore, the amount of amateur pornography being produced and disseminated from the region has been steadily growing thanks to file sharing websites and other technology like video-enabled mobile phones.

The vast majority of pornography comes from web-based sources. Given the language barrier that prohibits many Middle Eastern Internet users from accessing western-based pornographic websites, a number of Arabic-language message boards and chat sites have been set up to fill this gap. Users to these sites not only post western-produced pornography, but are increasingly posting material specific to the region; it is on these sites that one can find munaqqabah pornography easily.

When reviewing munaqqabah pornography, it becomes clear that the veil serves both practical purposes and as a sexualized object. Indeed, given the loaded nature of the veil, it can be seen in direct opposition to the prevailing institutional and social status-quo. Munaqqabah pornography comes in a variety of forms, from video clips that are passed between mobile phones to still photos posted on message boards. And while some are clearly western in origin (a veiled, naked women dressed as a suicide bomber for example), most appear to be specific to the region.

If we analyze munaqqabah pornography in context, troubling issues appear. Although the argument can be made that munaqqabah pornography is not inherently dangerous, it is often situated in the midst of highly misogynistic and violent western pornography. Secondly, the regional gender restrictions have severely limited the amount of contact between the sexes. Thus, it is plausible that for many Arab youth, pornography one of the main sources of sexual socialization. Combined with the social and economic marginalization emblematic of Arab youth, and an incredibly problematic situation is evident- youth have very few sexual options, outlets or healthy resources for sexual knowledge.

Sarah Michelle Leonard worked in law enforcement for five years in Seattle, Washington before moving to Egypt where she is currently completing a degree in Anthropology and Islamic Studies at the American University in Cairo. She is also studying Arabic, and her fieldwork interests include Islamic funerary ritual and the pornography of and about the Middle East.