CAIRO: A popular club on Egypt’s North Coast is reopening days after it was briefly shut down for allegedly holding a “racy performance,” leaving some Egyptians bewildered by what they had seen.
Egypt’s tourism police closed club 6ix Degrees in Sahel last weekend, after photos of a live on-stage performance stirred controversy among many Egyptians.
The pictures — apparently taken for the club by a professional photographer and circulated on social media — showed women dancers in themed costumes that were deemed inappropriate by many.
Some Egyptian media outlets praised the authorities for closing down the club on July 12, saying the move came in response to public fury over the performance.
But this weekend, the club is operating normally, sparking mixed reactions among Egyptians.
A Facebook post about the performance, which later went viral, is believed to have prompted the crackdown on the club.
Khaled Dewan, the young Egyptian dentist behind the post, expressed how surprised he was to see such a performance taking place in Egypt.
“This picture was not taken in France or the States, it was actually captured in Egypt’s North Coast, specifically in 6ix Degrees,” the post read.
In his post, Dewan said he does not mind being called a “close minded” person, adding that such performances “corrupt the minds of future generations.”
Soon after the closure, Dewan said he was shocked to see how his post gained lots of praise and triggered a government response shortly after its release.
But in addition to the praise, Dewan received a backlash on social media, to the extent that it made him reluctant to reply to media inquiries over the matter.
It remains unclear how the club — owned by the son of a former Egyptian prime minister — reopened after all the fuss created about it only a week ago.
Tourism official Ali Ghoneim told Arab News: “The tourism police demands that establishments must abide by applied rules. Legal measures are taken against those who do not comply with security regulations.”
When asked under what conditions such establishments would reopen, he replied that this is “allowed when the violations that promoted the closure no longer exist.”
In the same week, tourism police announced that they have banned the consumption of alcohol on North Coast
beaches — Egypt’s top summer vacation spots.
Some North Coast resorts also ban women donning the Muslim headscarf from
using swimming pools, and prohibit their entrance to clubs serving alcoholic
drinks.
Egypt’s tourism police closed club 6ix Degrees in Sahel last weekend, after photos of a live on-stage performance stirred controversy among many Egyptians.
The pictures — apparently taken for the club by a professional photographer and circulated on social media — showed women dancers in themed costumes that were deemed inappropriate by many.
Some Egyptian media outlets praised the authorities for closing down the club on July 12, saying the move came in response to public fury over the performance.
But this weekend, the club is operating normally, sparking mixed reactions among Egyptians.
A Facebook post about the performance, which later went viral, is believed to have prompted the crackdown on the club.
Khaled Dewan, the young Egyptian dentist behind the post, expressed how surprised he was to see such a performance taking place in Egypt.
“This picture was not taken in France or the States, it was actually captured in Egypt’s North Coast, specifically in 6ix Degrees,” the post read.
In his post, Dewan said he does not mind being called a “close minded” person, adding that such performances “corrupt the minds of future generations.”
Soon after the closure, Dewan said he was shocked to see how his post gained lots of praise and triggered a government response shortly after its release.
But in addition to the praise, Dewan received a backlash on social media, to the extent that it made him reluctant to reply to media inquiries over the matter.
It remains unclear how the club — owned by the son of a former Egyptian prime minister — reopened after all the fuss created about it only a week ago.
Tourism official Ali Ghoneim told Arab News: “The tourism police demands that establishments must abide by applied rules. Legal measures are taken against those who do not comply with security regulations.”
When asked under what conditions such establishments would reopen, he replied that this is “allowed when the violations that promoted the closure no longer exist.”
In the same week, tourism police announced that they have banned the consumption of alcohol on North Coast
beaches — Egypt’s top summer vacation spots.
Some North Coast resorts also ban women donning the Muslim headscarf from
using swimming pools, and prohibit their entrance to clubs serving alcoholic
drinks.
