In light of the recent Egyptian women-led anti-sexual harassment movement exposing harassers, rapists, apologists and complices, a nude-sharing WhatsApp group of over 50 men at the American University in Cairo (AUC) has finally been outed.
It was said that this group has been around for over 6 years now. Its main and only purpose was to, obviously, share nudes of girls – some of which have a personal connection with the male members of the said group.
It’s also worth mentioning that the person who made it a mission of his to track and expose the group is none other than one of this camp’s very own. As Selim Abo Mosallam is an AUC graduate who is also a former “Black” camp member.
Honestly, we wish the problem stopped here. But this is not the case. Male-created nude-sharing groups have been here for a long while and no action has ever been taken against them. Not even from those who know of their existence and are furious about it.
How else do you think nudes get leaked? It’s not only that men send them to one another, but it’s also that a whole bunch of them feed on creating such groups to share as well as ask for nudes of girls in or close to their circles.
And it’s not just AUC; it exists in so many schools, universities, and casual friend groups. Sharing nudes is a ‘culture’ when it comes to some Egyptian men and is also part of the “masculine norms” where nobody raises a red flag.
Some would argue that “Hey, not all men are trash. There are ‘silent’ members who don’t share any nudes on those kinds of groups.“
Well, hate to be the ones to break it to you but let us tell you this; if you have the slightest idea about the existence of such groups in your immediate circles – let alone being a part of them in any way, and still choose to be silent or remain a part of them, then you’re, without a doubt, a complice.
You’re simply no different.
In the case of AUC, a number of female students took to Twitter to express their shock about the matter. Mainly because this very “Black” camp has always been advocating for women’s rights on campus, yet here we are.
And again, that’s no surprise, because this is not the first time that a group of men pretends they’re here for women and are all for fighting the patriarchal society we live in, then end up not walking the talk.
It’s sad to think that those sorry examples of men and their complices often take feminism as a way to gain women-clout. It’s even sadder that sharing-nudes is also a way for them to gain validation and clout, but this time, from their fellow male friends and colleagues.
We urge any man or woman who knows anything about other nude-sharing groups to come forward and expose the people involved. This needs to end. Most importantly, people need to know who their real friends are.
