Ishara Gamal~Looking to Heaven~RIP, Angel

I had the irony of ironies happen to me yesterday, and I felt I needed to share it with you.  I was hired to dance at a Breast Cancer benefit slated for this weekend, but the sponsors backed out at the last minute.  Why?  Because their primarily conservative Arabic audience didn’t want a dancer after all.  Initially, I was asked to cover my body for the dance; to dress conservatively.  That was fine with me, I have plenty of costumes that are not-so-revealing.  I said I can do a folkdance, not bellydance; even though they had asked me to do bellydance, but covered up.  I said, fine, I need the money, I’ll do it.  Then, it turned into a situation where they said the people who were paying the $250 for the ticket wouldn’t show up if there was ANY dancing at all.  Stunned, I complied, and then reminded the sponsor of why I wanted to do this event. That it was because of my friend dying of breast cancer almost two years ago, and I wanted to dance in her memory.  Her dying wish to me was that I continue to dance, to not quit, to help change people’s perceptions about the female body.

I find it highly ironic that an event that is supposed to raise money for the research of a female body part DOESN’T EVEN WANT TO SEE THAT BODY PART DISPLAYED AT THEIR EVENT.  What is wrong with cleavage?  What is wrong with showing the breast to others, not fully exposed, but in a beautiful costume?  Why can’t we celebrate the beauty of the breast, not in a degrading manner, but as it is–a female body part that represents and has the biological function of nurturing?  Am I crazy to see this, the only one who questions the morals of this?  Religion really has nothing to do with morals, which is what is wrong and what is right.  Religion says follow my rules, do as I say, don’t question it.

An old friend of Ishara’s has contacted me through email, as he just found out about her passing, even though it was 1.5 yrs ago that she crossed over.  I have been thinking about her intensely lately, and I know she was using him to contact me from the other side.  It is no coincidence.  She was always an agent of change, a symbol of inspiration to all her friends.  She could bring people together so easily with her vivacious spirit, and I know that if she were alive today she would’ve been involved in Obama’s campaign, as I was.  It is not only our government we need to change, but also people’s perception of the female body, regardless of any religion.  It is a beautiful thing, and there should be no shame in showing cleavage in public.  I don’t agree with images of women that show us in a degrading manner, but images that elevate the female body are a beautiful thing, and we should never be told to cover up because our breast offends someone.