"Baladi Awi", a View on National Identity {The Egyptian Explained}
Introduction
“Baladi Awi” — this is what some Egyptians say casually when purchasing something. The literal translation of baladi is “my country,” and awi means “very.” The understood meaning, however, is quite different. In everyday use, “baladi awi” conveys the idea of being vulgar, local, or inelegant—a reference to what is perceived as unsophisticated or of “low taste.”
This article follows “Ya Fallah: Agricultural Cultural View in Egypt”, and will address what Egyptians actually think about being Egyptian.
Being Egyptian: A Complicated Identity
In the previous article, I discussed my experience of what it means to be labeled as a fallah—a farmer working the land by hand, often considered the lowest social class within agricultural work.
Being Egyptian differs from one group to another, but there is a near-universal perception that being Egyptian does not carry many positive connotations. Ironically, this applies both to people and to things.
Social Labels and Class Perception
I previously referred to the dilemma of how Egyptians classify themselves socially. These classifications have led to social labeling, stereotyping, and shaming, all of which fuel classism and social envy.
Typically, such judgments operate in a top-down manner—a term that refers to mechanisms where decisions and cultural norms are shaped by elites and imposed on the wider society.
The Role of the Elite
Top-Down vs. Bottom-Up
The construction of social hierarchies in Egypt is often shaped by elitist perceptions. While some bottom-up resistance exists, the top-down dynamic remains dominant—particularly in defining what is accepted as elite or civilized.
In Egyptian society, elite status traditionally revolves around power, authority, and prestige. This perception is reinforced daily through media, advertising, and social behavior. Even subtle gestures and language choices convey a deeply ingrained hierarchical mindset.
Colonial Heritage and Cultural Hierarchies
Egypt’s colonial past has had a profound impact on its social and cultural identity. Like many postcolonial nations, Egypt gained political independence but continued to carry psychological and cultural residues of colonization.
Throughout its long history, Egypt was repeatedly ruled or influenced by foreign powers—Persians, Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Ottomans, French, and British. Each period left behind cultural imprints that reshaped social hierarchies and concepts of modernity and power.
Because of this, elitism became linked with authority—those in power, whether local or foreign, were admired, feared, and often emulated. The result is a contradictory mix of reverence and resentment—a “flirtation with authority” combined with “concealed hostility.”
National Narratives: Between Pride and Dependency
Some might expect that a country with a colonial history would foster a strong and unified national pride. While patriotic narratives do exist in Egyptian art and media—celebrating independence and national heroes—there also exists another, less flattering narrative: one that portrays Egypt’s ongoing struggle with dependency and identity.
Even after independence, colonial mindsets persisted within institutions, language use, and class systems. The country continues to wrestle with a sense of admiration for the West and doubt about its own authenticity.
The Khawaga Complex
In modern Egyptian usage, khawaga symbolizes both admiration and alienation: admiration for the Western “master,” and alienation from one’s own “baladi” identity.
This complex manifests in two ways:
Masqueraded inferiority – where Egyptians unconsciously regard anything foreign as superior.
Defensive nationalism – an exaggerated pride in Egyptian products or heritage as a reaction to inferiority.
The result is a love-hate relationship with “Egyptianness” itself.
The Oppressed and the Oppressor
Many of the atrocities of the colonial era were justified in the name of “civilization.” Resistance movements did emerge—led by public figures, intellectuals, and activists—and these are often celebrated in patriotic media today.
Yet historically, Egyptians have been described as a non-revolutionary people, preferring stability over disruption. Scholar Gamal Hemdan attributes this to Egypt’s agricultural roots, where dependence on the Nile and the land encouraged settlement and routine rather than rebellion.
Even in times of oppression, many Egyptians coexisted with their colonizers—balancing resentment with adaptation. The colonizer was seen not only as the oppressor but also as the legitimate authority—the one who held access to power and opportunity.
Post-Colonial Egypt: Internalized Hierarchies
After independence—often framed as a military revolution or national emancipation—Egypt still faced persistent social and economic inequalities.
The relationship between the Western oppressor and the Egyptian oppressed evolved into a psychological dynamic of inferiority and infatuation.
This paradox is visible in Egyptian culture today—from linguistic choices to fashion, branding, and lifestyle aspirations. Many continue to equate “modernity” with “Westernness.”
Colonized Minds and Cultural Stockholm Syndrome
The most insidious legacy of colonization is not military or political—it is mental colonization. Egyptians often unconsciously reproduce colonial hierarchies, valuing the foreign over the local.
This can be compared to Stockholm Syndrome, where the victim empathizes with the oppressor. Egyptians, like many postcolonial societies, sometimes imitate the dominant culture—believing it grants access to progress, beauty, or legitimacy.
The imitation, however, comes at a cost: it reinforces the very hierarchies from which people seek freedom.
Conclusion
The “Baladi Awi” mindset reflects a deep cultural paradox in Egypt—a tension between pride and shame, authenticity and imitation, nationalism and colonial hangover.
The challenge for contemporary Egyptians is not to reject modernization, but to redefine sophistication through their own heritage rather than in reaction to someone else’s power.
References
Hafez, S. (2011). An Islam of Her Own: Reconsidering Religion and Secularism in Women's Islamic Movements. NYU Press.
Hemdan, G. (1980). Shakhsiyyat Misr: Dirasah Fi Abqariyat al-Makan (The Personality of Egypt: A Study in the Genius of Place).
Said, E. (1978). Orientalism. Pantheon Books.
Mitchell, T. (1991). Colonising Egypt. University of California Press.
Fanon, F. (1952). Black Skin, White Masks. Grove Press.
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