The Egyptian People 75member bear directly on the reputation of all other family
members. This concept is rather different from much of
Western belief. In the West, an individual’s reputation may
well be viewed as a personal responsibility and can frequently
be separated from the reputation of his or her family. For
example, in the West, a brother is not usually held directly
responsible for his sister’s behaviour and/or reputation. In
Egypt, the situation differs. Any behaviour on the part of an
individual reflects strongly on the family. Behaviour of any
family member is held to be the direct responsibility of the
family. For example, the brother, father and all other family
members bear direct responsibility for the actions of a
woman, perceived actions of a woman, or any action directed
toward a female family member. It is for this reason, among
others, that family members concern themselves intimately
with the actions of all family members.
Honour has so many implications in Egyptian life that it
would be impossible to discuss them all. So I will discuss a
few of the many intricately interwoven aspects of honour
existing in Egyptian society.
First, honour means a code of integrity, dignity and pride.
Honour, in a general sense, applies to both the feeling and the
expression of the sentiment. Throughout Egypt, feelings of
honour find expression in everyday language and demeanor.
For example, Egyptians are overwhelmingly concerned with
demonstrating their hospitality and generosity. Dignity and
pride express themselves in all aspects of dress, manners,
language, business, attitudes and behaviour. In daily life,
Egyptians demonstrate pride and honour for their religious,
political, social, and ancient heritage—in other words,
their culture.
Understanding how appearance relates to honour requires
using a broad perspective of how appearance integrates
with behaviour to Egyptians. Outward appearance, i.e. how
you are dressed, your grooming etc., is very important to all
Egyptians, most especially to upper-class Egyptians. They
strive to appear well-dressed and groomed at all times and
cannot fathom why anyone would want to appear otherwise.
As a result, dress appears to be a bit more formal than is