I thought this series is a really good explanation on why Egyptions are mad about the #Netflix Cleopatra documentary.
Part 1:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wK9zuEh1O4&t=624s
@liztai Interesting. I'm incredibly weirded out by this whole focus on the Cleopatra show. Every day I log onto any platform the debate on this topic is all over the place. I suppose if you're Egyptian it gets personal, but why does everyone else care so much?
@chuls @liztai Many people are outraged by the unfair treatment of a whole culture whose heritage and traditions are being plundered by another. It doesn't matter if they are not part of that culture, we feel empathy for them. This is even more unacceptable when it is done by a powerful business and wealthy celebrities from the most culturally influential country in the world.
This situation is similar to the museums around the world that still possess objects that were taken by force in the past. This is also wrong and angers many people who are not of the culture that was plundered.
A few people believing in Afrocentrism is fine, there are always strange people in this world, and a few of them are harmless. But getting supported by Netflix is wrong as it turns them into a force that could really deceive many into believing lies about Egypt. There would be similar outrage from scientists if Netflix created a flat earth documentary and marketed it heavily as the new truth.
@ben @chuls @liztai I disagree. Culture lasts, and elements of modern-day cultures can be traced back 1000s of years.
Let's take one example, yoga, it dates back to the 4th century BCE. Yoga is considered one of the six orthodox schools of Hindu philosophy, so that is one aspect of Hindu culture that's lasted over 2000s years and is very much still alive today and still culturally important. A direct cultural link to people over 2000 years ago. And there are 1000s of other examples.
It would be very wrong to tell Indian people that yoga wasn't created by their ancestors, that yoga is no more Indian than baseball and they are in fact all invaders and they appropriated yoga. It is honestly a travesty!
@gpowerf @chuls @liztai it is in fact unlikely their ancestors were the ones who created Vedic religion. People in what we now call India appropriated it from invaders. Don't fall for these nationalistic myths and revisionisms that only serve to promote modern nation states and their racist agendas. Ancestry isn't that important
@gpowerf @chuls @liztai ठीक है भाई ☺️