Egyptians and Afrocentrism: Exploring mutual misconceptions

What is Afrocentrism and are Egyptians African?

This dispute raises a question about the essence of Afrocentrism.

Supporters of the Afrocentric movement aim to emphasise the significance of Africa and restore dignity to Africans and individuals of African origin who have suffered oppression since Westerners began enslaving them in the 15th century. Some manifestations of discrimination against them continue in the United States, up until now.

Egyptians are Africans not merely due to geography, but also because their identity possesses an African component. Egyptian governments have incorporated this component in their policies toward the African continent, especially since the early 1950s when the book "Philosophy of the Revolution" was published.

The book – authored by the late journalist Mohamed Hassanein Heikal and signed under the name of President Gamal Abdel Nasser in 1954 – divided the Egyptian political circles into three categories: Arab, African, and Islamic.

Investigating misconceptions

So how can Afrocentrism, then, be a threat to the Egyptian identity, which itself includes an African component?

To answer this question, it is necessary to investigate the root of the misconception that leads to a mutual misunderstanding between Egyptians of African descent and supporters of Afrocentrism.

The root of this misconception lies in how Afrocentrists treat Egypt as if it is not African. They believe Africa lies south of the Sahara Desert, excluding people of the northern regions of the continent and African identity is solely defined by skin colour.

Indeed, Afrocentrists — in their attempt to stand up to White/Western racism —tend to overcompensate, often resulting in overzealousness for black skin colour.

They forget that black skin colour is not exclusive to Africans. There are black people in South America and the Caribbean, and their numbers are comparable to those in Africa.

Creating enemies

Fixating solely on skin colour dilutes the essence of Afrocentrism which has become a far cry from what its founders had envisioned. This dilution can, in fact, weaken the Afrocentric movement by creating enemies, unecessarily. 

And no one can blame Egyptians for lashing out against attempts to distort their history. But when this zeal reaches its peak, Afrocentrism is reduced to a fabricated conspiracy aimed at undermining Egyptian civilisation, instead of its intended purpose to stand up to Western racism.

Even if Egypt were not African, the cause of restoring dignity to Africans and individuals of African origin, as well as confronting Western centrism, should be respected by all those who have suffered and continue to suffer the economic and political repercussions of this centrism.

Perhaps the emergence of the Afrocentric movement in the West — particularly in the United States — has contributed to the overall negative perception that certain Egyptian circles have adopted.

There has been increasing awareness that the West is not a monolithic bloc; it comprises diverse factions – one colonialist and domineering, the other emancipatory, progressive, and anti-colonialist.

However, there was a time when a stereotypical image of the West prevailed, reducing it to greedy and oppressive powers. This image is not confined to Western policies but also extends to its civilisation and culture.

Room should be made for fiction but lines should not be crossed

Let's take the vehement criticism against the documentary "Cleopatra" as an example. The stance arising from the negative stereotype led to viewing the content as a literal historical record, leaving no room to appreciate it for its artistry, fuelled by fiction rather than exact historical documentation.

Historical figures have previously appeared in fictional portrayals in both the drama and the documentary genres. In fact, a new genre was created specifically for these portrayals: Docudrama. This involves blending history and fiction, especially when documentation is sparse or non-existent on a particular historical figure. 

This is particularly applicable to figures like Cleopatra, whose origins have not been definitively pinned down, making her ethnicity a subject of debate and speculation.

However, it is fair to say that the Cleopatra docudrama might have gone too far with its fictionalisation, crossing acceptable limits.

It is clear that there are fundamental shortcomings in Afrocentrism that must be addressed — particularly in the contemporary climate where misunderstandings have escalated. However, through serious dialogue common ground can be found.