Egyptian Teacher Aya Youssef fired for belly-dancing, reinstated after Activists' support

A teacher from Egypt, Aya Youssef, has been reinstated to her position after she garnered ire from conservatives and was fired because of a video that went viral. According to Egypt Independent, conservatives across the country were outraged by the video, in which she can be seen belly-dancing with her co-workers on a Nile river cruise. Aya Youssef, a Mansoura native who served as an Arabic teacher at a primary school in Dakahlia province, was reportedly fired from her job and divorced by her husband days later due to the outrage.

"My life was destroyed because of the video from an unscrupulous person who tried to tarnish my reputation and brought the camera close to me only to show me in a bad manner. I really made a mistake because I was happy and played with people who were not honest. People bullied and insulted me. I lost my job, my husband, my home, and my mother got sick. My family was impacted by what happened," Youssef told Egypt Independent. 

Youssef received support from Egyptian women's rights activists

While the conservative segment of the population chastised the teacher for her dancing, she received support from Egyptian women's rights activists who spoke out against the issue. Dr. Nihad Abu Qumsan, the Director of the Egyptian Centre for Women's Rights, volunteered to assist her in filing a lawsuit against unjust dismissal, while a deputy director of an Egyptian secondary school provided images of herself dancing at her daughter's wedding. Women's rights advocates determined that Youssef was not to blame and that the witch hunt should be put to an end.

Following a groundswell of public support, Youssef has been hired as an Arabic teacher at a new school.

"The decision of the Education Directorate in Daqahlia to return me to my work made me feel that part of my life began to return to its nature and that part of my dignity was recovered," she added, Egypt Independent reported.

Youssef, a mother of three, said that following the divorce, she has no source of income and that her parents have been chastised for raising her incorrectly. She also noted how she was simply being herself and having a good time in an open area where everyone else was laughing and relaxed. Belly dance is ingrained in Arab and Egyptian culture and may be traced back to Pharaonic times, but conservatives and Islamist groups often oppose it in modern times. Youssef's story, however, brought attention to how the north African country treats its women.

(With inputs from Agencies)

Image: Twitter/@ArwaIbrahim