In response to a comment thread about sexual assault in Sweden, I wrote this response. This could not be published on Instagram, because Sweden now has strong media and social censorship, in which certain words, comments and articles are banned (e.g. mentioning the words "rape" and "Muslim" in the same comment) But here's some of my experience living as a gay man in Egypt. Egyptian people in general are amazing and lovely, but most Europeans have no idea about the enormous cultural differences. Muslim men in general are raised entirely separately from the women -- as the women are kept away and entirely covered from head to toe and away from the men. Women are most often left "out of the fun" or the club (even sex) and are mostly suppressed to serve the men, and have children. Two things result: 40% of Egyptian men have most of their sexual experiences with other men (with whom they are raised in intimacy, far kept from the women) (and most the rest of the men are also bisexual, I was told, even when they have wives). The other result is that they are SUPER sexually charged and frustrated (because of the strict moral laws and upbringing in Muslim cultures). Women cannot go out in public, only in head covering and fully clothed, long sleeves and long skirts or long jeans. The men likewise, mostly wear long-sleeved shirts with long pants in the 45°C heat. European women and men are encouraged to also observe this -- in order to avoid being sexually harassed, solicited or attacked or taken by the moral police. Public affection between men and when, kissing, hugging, holding hands. A woman and a man cannot check into a hotel room unless they have papers proving that they are married. There are separate subway cars for men and women, though there is one combined car in the middle. I have also said this before, that 95-98% of women in Egypt are genitally mutilated, with their clitoris and labia cut out. Moral police may appear out of nowhere and you will be taken and held in jail. At the same time, I must mention that Egypt is one of, if not the, most liberal Muslim/Arab countries, preceded perhaps only by Morocco and/or Lebanon. The Gulf, rich states, particularly Saudi Arabia and Quatar, are the worst and most oppressive and extremely strict religiously (even by Egyptian standards), as well as Iraq, Afghanistan. In any way, if you are a (especially Euoprean) woman or even a European man, and you walk down the street, you CONSTANTLY get sexually solicited and comments. I dated guys who were nice, but in the streets the soliciting really bothered me, and one time I was almost pulled into a dark alleyway and took me 15 minutes of fighting to set myself free. I see that boys who were raised their entirely lives only seeing women covered head to toe, they come to Europe and see women (and men) half naked, naked arms, tank tops, short skirts bikinis, the men in short sleeved T-shirts and short shorts, they cannot keep their dicks controlled because this is COMPLETELY UNIMAGINABLE and FORBIDDEN in Egypt and most Arab (Muslim Arab) cultures. (It's different with Egypt's Christian Arab minority, they dress like European women -- and therefore are often more vulnerable to being sexually assaulted). For inappropriate attire, or public affection, kissing, hugging, the Egyptian police may take you and put you in jail -- although, interestingly affection, kissing, hugging, locking arms between men is normal and is everywhere, it just can't look "gay." Both my previous boyfriends were Muslim and super gentlemen, but I do see that many Muslim men here in Europe CANNOT handle the amazing freedom, except those already emulating a European lifestyle back at home. You may call this as stereotyping, but even me, this is my experience after a long time living in Egypt and then coming back to Europe, and being used to seeing only a sea of women all dressed up from head to toe, and men with all of their limbs covered at all times: I was SHOCKED to see the European women in T-shirts and tank tops and short shorts and mini skirts, and naked legs, and the men in shorts and T-shirts. This is unimaginable in Cairo (a city of 20 million people, by the way) and in most Muslim countries. I was shocked by the difference and the freedom in Europe, and how people dress. In Cairo, I was CONSTATLY getting looks and comments if I went out in public in shorts and tank-top in the 45°C heat. Again, despite 40% of Egyptian men having sex with men only and the rest being open, it is risky for them to be gay. For inappropriate attire, or public affection, kissing, hugging, and especially for being gay the Egyptian police may take you and put you in jail or -- often given up by their own families or relatives -- gays may even be put away or disappear forever. All of the men I dated were scared and cautious. One of my previous boyfriends was forced to marry a girl, and my boyfriend in Egypt was confronted by his family and forced to see a girl to marry her -- which he was only able to decline by living a completely independent life. Others waited for months for a "Schengen visa" to come to live in Europe only to escape from their families and never see them again. Gays are sometimes still publicly hanged (often after being raped) in Iran and other places. Being gay is illegal in most Arab countries, with varying severity of punishment. So is driving and dressing freely for women, or going out in public without a male guardian.