With all the horrendous traffic problems that Cairo faces, and offences that go unpunished, I'd be grateful if anyone could enlighten me as to exactly how this law might improve Cairo's traffic. In the past, one of the strategies used by colonial powers to break the cultural pride of a nation prior to economic exploitation was to ban the use of local traditional dress, as part of a campaign to inject an inferiority complex in people's minds regarding their own cultural identity.
Numerous examples exist in most previously colonised countries.
The colonisers have obviously left behind a powerful legacy, as, to many Egyptians it still seems to represent something inferior, provincial, second-class, even faintly ridiculous. As a foreigner living here I do not share this view. From my viewpoint, the galabiya looks cool, light, decent and dignified, and practically suited to the heat of Egyptian summers. Moreover it is a garment indigenous to the region and therefore an essential part of the cultural heritage and identity. Men in other Arab states, at all levels of society, wear galabiyas with great dignity and bearing.