Page 32 - Issue 72

V O L .1 E L I T E ISSUE 72

TikTok or Egyptian family values... who is besieging

whom?

th
Salma Nasr - Political science - 4 year

In recent weeks, Egypt has witnessed a The same names are repeated, most
new wave of security crackdowns against notably Suzy Al-Ordonya, Om Makkah,
content creators on the TikTok app, to Om Sajda, and others who quickly

the point where it seems like a never- become famous for the case rather than
ending cycle: starting with the arrest of a for their content.
new group, media promotion of the
charges, widespread debate on social
media between supporters and

opponents, then the case disappears from
the headlines only to return under
different names after weeks or months. In

the latest campaign, at least ten men and
women were arrested after reports were
filed by lawyers who call themselves This phenomenon is not new for Egypt.
“defenders of Egyptian family values,” a In 2020, when the cases of Hanin
label that has become common in the Hossam and Mawadda Al-Adham came

media and is used to justify these to light, the authorities began to
campaigns. As usual, the charges range formulate a new approach to dealing
from indecent acts and attacks on social with social media. Initially, the charge

values to, in some cases, major crimes was “violating family values,” but it later
such as money laundering or possession evolved into human trafficking, based 32
of drugs and weapons, turning the story on the two girls' invitation to others to
into a full-blown criminal case.