A viral video in Egypt has sparked a wave of outrage after revealing that a girl named Busi was forced to undergo an ancient ritual known as 'Al-Basha' to prove her honor. This old folk tradition involves placing a person's tongue on a hot metal object or directly in the fire, aiming to 'prove their truthfulness.' The incident, described by the media as a 'honor test by fire,' occurred after the girl's husband falsely accused her of impropriety on their wedding night. This angered a wide sector of Egyptians, who stated that it is an insult to every Egyptian woman, daughter, and mother and is unworthy of the Egyptian people. The video shows the girl in a state of panic and confusion, asking in a faint voice, 'Are you really going to burn me?', to which the person conducting the ritual replies, 'I'll burn you if you're lying.' Commentators went as far as to demand that the husband undergo the same test to verify the truth of his claim. Human rights activists, according to Russia Today, called for an urgent investigation into the incident, warning that the continuation of such practices reinforces misconceptions about honor and makes women hostages to traditions that have nothing to do with justice or humanity. Followers demanded legal intervention, asserting that resorting to Bedouin customs or folk rituals as an alternative to the judiciary is a blatant violation of fundamental rights. Amidst the scene, her family members pushed her to proceed without hesitation, describing it as a 'legal solution' to prove her innocence. According to Egyptian news sites, the girl's tongue was placed on the fire, causing her to scream in pain and tension before her mother ululated in celebration, believing that the 'non-burning of her tongue' was conclusive proof of her honor. The anger intensified on social media platforms, where activists described the incident as a 'crime,' noting that such practices insult a woman's dignity and push the society back decades.
