An Egyptian naturalised Italian belly dancer has been arrested in Cairo on charges of offending public morals amid a clampdown on the traditional sensual dance that has seen five practitioners arrested in the North African country in the last five years, la Repubblica daily reported Monday.
Sohila Tarek Hassan Haggag, who dances under the name Linda Martino and is very famous in Egypt and a top social-media influencer, was arrested at Cairo airport on her way to Dubai two weeks ago, the Rome-based newspaper said.
She was said to be in possession of substantial sums of money that authorities have branded the proceeds of “activities liable to instigate depravity”.
Linda Martino was born in Egypt but became an Italian citizen after she married an Italian, la Repubblica said.
Cairo considers the woman Egyptian. Her first hearing has yet to be set.
Another belly dancer, Katerina Andreeva, has got a year in jail with hard labour on the same charges.
The indictments include investigations into a cabaret on Egypt’s North Coast where Martino “appeared in indecent clothing, deliberately exposing sensitive areas of her body, in clear violation of public morals and social values,” the Egyptian auhtorities wrote in one of their reports, adding that “the investigations have ascertained that Linda used seduction techniques and provocative dances to incite vice.” The crackdown flies in the face of moves to get Egyptian belly-dancing recognised as a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage art.
Amie Sultan, an Egyptian dancer and actress and currently one of the country’s best-known belly dancers, has the declared aim of restoring Oriental dance to a better reputation in its country of origin and to have it recognised as intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO.
Sultan is a prominent and strong critic of the development that Oriental dance has undergone in Egypt since the turn of the millennium.