War games

Lina Mahmoud investigates the effects of invasion and occupation on half of Egypt's population

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THE YOUNG FACES OF RESISTANCE: in the thick of the demonstration earlier this year at Tahrir Square; display of collective action at Tahrir Square; expressing pro-Palestine sympathies at Al-Azhar

When asked about the war, 10-year-old Hassan Youssef, who attends a primary school in the Cairo district of Boulaq Aboul-'Ela, was emphatic: "America wants to occupy everything. Including all the oil."

He expressed not only anger but a desire to fight the Americans and Israelis. He complains that because adults consider him "too young", so far he has only been allowed to participate in demonstrations.

Over the past two years, Egyptian children have been bombarded with news and images of armed conflict -- first, the Israeli brutality in the Palestinian Occupied Territories and the Intifada, and now the American and British invasion of Iraq. One of the ramifications of this has been that children have become more politically aware. It has become almost commonplace to see young boys and girls amidst the throngs of protesters that have taken to the Egyptian streets.

Youssef is one such youngster. "Last year I went to a demonstration in front of Cairo University that was calling for freedom in Palestine. The policemen started beating the demonstrators and then the kids started hitting the policemen back," recounted Youssef. Youssef considers himself a "good boy" and was quick to point out that he only hit a policeman after being grabbed by him. For Youssef, the demonstration was just the beginning. "Now I go to demonstrations against the war in Iraq. The [Egyptian] government should stop supporting the United States because if the US is able to occupy Iraq, we could be next."

Today, at school and at places of play, Egyptian children discuss the latest developments of war and occupation. They express the political views they hear at home as well as their fears and frustrations. Mohamed Ahmed, Ashraf Adli, Amr Mohamed and Nabil Tawfiq, who attend a primary school in Cairo's working-class district of Al-Sharabiya, have tried to join Cairo University students in their anti-war demonstrations twice but failed each time. However, their first taste of political activism came when a microbus took them to a rally organised by the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP) at the Cairo Stadium on 27 February. "But this is not what we want," complained Amr. He insisted that he and his friends "want the war to stop". He says they want Jerusalem to be free and that they want to fight. He also says that they want to be respected by the policemen who hit them on the streets.

At one of the demonstrations at Al-Azhar Mosque several weeks ago, 12-year-old Abdel- Rahman Ayman expressed feelings of relief for having been able to attend. "I feel helpless when I watch or hear the news of bombing Iraq and Palestine. I thought of getting weapons and going to fight with the Iraqis and the Palestinians, but I could not tell my parents. When I told my uncle, he said, 'You are still young and shouldn't talk about these things.' Now, I talk with my friends and we all share the same dream."

Of the estimated 69.5 million people living in Egypt (based on 2001 figures), almost half of the population is under the age of 19. According to figures released by the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the National Council for Motherhood and Childhood (NCCM) last August, it is clear that too many of these children work, live on the streets and are subjected to various forms of violence in the workplace, on the streets, at school or at home. Couple these factors with the high levels of poverty across the nation and one can imagine the frustration building in young minds.

Also affecting children are the powerful images of violence that have been flooding television screens. Young viewers may identify with other Arab children seen defiantly throwing stones against occupying forces in Palestine or who are wounded or killed in Iraq.

"Many of today's children either attend demonstrations or sit in front of a TV screen that transmits images of the Intifada or news of war. This is not normal for kids who have been raised in a so-called culture of peace," said Medhat El-Zahed, a writer and political analyst who works with young people at the Medinat Nasser branch of the left-leaning political party Tagammu. El-Zahed was surprised by the expressions of militancy among young people. He told Al-Ahram Weekly that he never expected children to become emotionally and morally involved with the plight of fellow Arabs in Palestine and Iraq.

"After my homework, I like watching cartoons, soap operas and movies. These days, however, I watch nothing but news about the war," 10-year-old Fadi told the Weekly.

Some parents are expressing alarm. Reem Allam, mother of seven-year-old Mariam, has been startled by her daughter's behaviour. "My daughter was born in Canada. Her culture is American. We came back to Egypt just two years ago. Suddenly I found her following the news of the Intifada and refusing to eat American food." Allam fears that the violence to which her daughter is exposed will affect her for the rest of her life. "I don't know how to deal with it. But I'm sure this is something negative."

While feelings of solidarity with those living in war zones and increasing political awareness may be seen as positive traits for youngsters, many specialists and parents fear the consequences. "Children are subjected to too much violence. This is encouraging a build-up of feelings of injustice and depression, which is expressed in the way they play. In the past, children liked to pretend to be doctors. But now, their playthings are toy guns and they divide themselves in two groups and play war games," said child psychiatrist Ahmed Abdel-Rahman El- Sharqawi.

Mohamed El-Makhzangi, a writer and psychiatrist, said, "The stress and bloody images enter deep into the subconscious of the child. This will be reflected in political and social thoughts and, of course, religious attitudes." He fears that in the future, children witnessing too many of these damaging images could turn into either right- wing or left-wing "extremists". He also said that negative influences may be expressed in literature and art as children get older.

Isaac Azmi, founder of the National Museum for Children's Art (see related side-bar), has noticed changes in children's drawings. "Instead of flowers, houses and trees, they draw guns, blood and trucks. This is because of the daily images of death and war they see on TV. These images are reflected in their drawings, which show an early political awareness and maturity," said Azmi.

"My children get scared when they watch news about war. And although I try to make them more angry than sad, I do not know what will come of these feelings of hatred and anger in the future," said Sami El-Siwi, a script-writer and father of three children.

Many parents find themselves in a difficult position. "They ask me questions such as, 'Why do these people die?' and 'What is going to happen after death?' These are embarrassing questions. I have to tell them that they are martyrs," said El- Siwi.

Qadri Hefni, a psychiatrist and professor at Ain Shams University, said he believes that children should know the truth. "Parents should explain the truth to them according to their age," he said.

However, many parents have expressed fears that current events have simply taken over their children's lives and that this has been facilitated not only by the media but by schools as well. Allam is not comfortable with the position taken by her daughter's school, a private language school in Qatamiya which allows children to discuss news about the war, compose war poetry and sing songs for Palestinian martyrs.

Across town, the head of a government primary school in Cairo's Shubra district who preferred to remain anonymous said that her school tries not to focus children's attention on the current conflict. "We try not to mention news of war here. They already hear the news or watch it at home. They get scared, so we try to make them forget. Otherwise, they will not make progress in their education."

Despite this, interviews conducted by the Weekly at the school indicated that children six and seven years old were savvy about current events. When asked about the war, hands flew up and answers came in torrents. They responded: "Israel is at war with Iraq," "America is bombing Iraq," "Kuwait supports America," "Twenty-four people were killed in Iraq," "They don't know where Saddam is" and "In Jerusalem, Palestine and Iraq people die."

Heike Mueller Treptow, a child and family therapist at the Cairo-based Community Service Association (CSA), believes that one way to deal with the situation is to try to minimise the amount of violence children watch on TV. "We can not lock them up and we can't hide them till the war is over. One thing parents can do is find time to talk to their children and give them the chance to express themselves and talk about all their fears."

Assem Ali, a 40-year-old hairdresser and father to two children, 12 and seven years old, agrees. "Children are intelligent. I can't just lie to them. What happens in Iraq and Palestine could happen in Egypt. They have to be strong. They have to be able to protect themselves." He also seemed satisfied with his children's school policies. "My kids' school [public school in the satellite city of 6 October] has conducted training drills on, for example, what they should do if they hear a bomb alert. This is very useful because it makes the children feel confident," said Ali. However, upon asking Ali's older daughter, Faten, about war, she had only one thing to say: "I am scared."

TWO WEEKS ago, on 9 April, Isaac Azmi, the director of the National Museum for Children's Art, joined famous artists, children and their parents to inaugurate a competition and exhibition of paintings under the theme of War and Children's Paintings. Children aged seven to 14 years old participated in the exhibition, submitting entries from Egypt and across the Arab world, including Iraq, Qatar, and Bahrain. First prize was awarded to 13-year-old Iraqi Mohamed Fadel (see above). Several of the artists attending the inaugural ceremony noted the importance of nurturing children's creative imaginations through such events. Allowing children to express themselves by painting and drawing is no less important than studying mathematics and history. "A child's linguistic abilities develop slowly. However, artistic talents like painting can develop more quickly and provide children with a medium by which they can express their feelings," said artist Ya'qoub El- Sharony. Thirteen-year-old Egyptian Rami Khaled was among those participating in the competition. "I don't like war. I get very upset when I watch TV. But, I hold on and try to watch as much as I can to hear the latest news about the war," he told those at the ceremony. Khaled explained that his paintings portray the effects of war on Iraqi and Palestinian children. Khadiga Khaled, another 13-year-old participant, had drawn what she described as "an American soldier who looks happy after killing a young girl". She told Al-Ahram Weekly that if "George Bush were not a president, he would not have invaded Iraq. He would have been scared for his kids."