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Being a vegan or vegetarian in Egypt would be considered a counter culture because vegetarianism is extremely rare and not widely accepted in the country. You are raised eating meat and chicken, and everyone around you eating meat and chicken. Even Muslims slaughter cows and eat their meat in Eid. There are almost no Vegan stores, supermarkets, or products in Egypt, as oppose to other countries where you would find them easily.

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Being a vegetarian is not common in Egypt and vegetarians make up a small percentage of our population. This is a counter culture because it portrays a small view of total Egyptian culture because being a vegetarian is unusual. In my opinion, i dont think Muslim vegetarians are judged in Egypt. I have some friends that are vegetarian and seem to be living fine and i think that the argument is exaggerated because most of Egyptian cultural foods do not contain meat. Sometimes vegetarians are accused of defying Islam which is why it relates to counter culture.

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Being a vegetarian is not widely known or acceptable in Egypt. Egypt is not multicultural so being a vegetarian is not really popular or widely accepted. There are no products, stores, or anything. However, abroad, one could fine other veggies, products, and stores specialised in being vegetarian. This is counter culture in Egypt as all Egyptians eat meat and chicken everyday so eating something unusual would be against the culture you are raised in.

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If you tell anyone in Egypt that you’re a vegetarian and that you’re a Muslim, people would think that you are crazy. All Egyptian culture is eating meat and chicken, not pork of course because we are a Muslim based society, and trying to buy pork in this country is unheard of basically, and being vegetarian especially is just imaginary. These reasons alone deem vegetarianism as a counter culture in Egypt, considering how Egyptians here are brought up by religious beliefs to eat meat, chicken, and not pork, being a vegetarian would go against their beliefs and would be considered some sort of rebelling against religion, and because of that it’s considered a counter-culture.

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This article talks about how A Muslim Vegetarian Looks Like. This article relates to counter culture due to it being very hard to find a vegan or a vegetarian because  of the culture traditions and having halal methods when slaughtering cows..etc. Their decision comes as being bizarre due to Islam and the cultural traditions we have

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I believe this is a sub culture because Muslims are a already a culture and this is just a variation of this culture that doesn't run counter to the general principles of the over arching culture as said by many sheikhs in many fatwas.

A Muslim may be a vegetarian. However, he should not regard eating meat as prohibited.
And Allah Taãla knows best.
Was salaam.

Sayyid Fadhlullah

Vegetarianism is halal.
Meat is not compulsory.
Any food is permissible provided it is not harmful.
Muslims are free to eat whatever they want provided it is halal.

It is like wanting to eat a certain fruit and not the other.

—Summation of answer given by the Honorable Sayyid Fadhlullah during an online Q&A session, December 1, 2001

Muzammil Siddiqi

(http://www.animalsinislam.com/halal-living/fatwas/)

Because being a vegetarian inst haram and these Muslim vegetarians are practicing Muslims i can conclude they are a sub culture

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After reading this article, I can conclude that Muslim vegans/vegetarians form a subculture. Most of the Egyptian population are omnivores, aside from Coptic Egyptians who fast. It's very uncommon to find a vegetarian/vegan in Egypt, and I think that's because there aren't any vegan products here compared to America for instance. A counterculture is basically a subculture whose values and norms of behavior differ substantially from those of mainstream society, and vegans/vegetarians make up a really small percentage of the population in Egypt.

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Being a Muslim vegan would be viewed as counter culture, on the grounds that most Egyptian or Muslims eat meat or chicken. It is viewed as mistaking for the Egyptian people group to see a vegan, since they are the minority and they don't present their cause to their group. Being a vegan abroad is easy because there is support and sources but here it is not culturally inappropriate

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To me, this is counterculture.

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I believe this is a culture over a subculture due to the high amount of coptic christians in Egypt who "fast" by being vegetarian/vegan. So it could definealtey be considered a culture when you include coptics. However, for Muslims in Egypt this is considered a sub culture because as a religion, they value meat. Especially in the feast where they slaughter and eat cows. So it isnt a norm for the majority of Egypt to be vegetarian but for Christians it is.

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Being a Muslim vegetarian would be considered counter culture, because most Egyptian or muslims eat meat or chicken. It is considered confusing for the Egyptian community to see a vegetarian, because they are the minority and they do not present their cause to their community. Egyptians or muslims do not comprehend their mentality, to understand how they think and why they think that. Comparing Egyptian vegetarians to American vegetarians, there are proper menus, and proper foods for them, because being vegetarian is a new known culture that is popular or known in America.

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You will be marked out of 10 for your depth of thought and care in answering this question. Counter Culture or Sub Culture?

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Arwa meets three Muslim vegetarians from around the world whose views, lifestyles and paths to vegetarianism couldn't be more diverse and distinct
When I was 16, I discovered the horror of factory farming and decided to become a vegetarian. That was 8 years ago and I have been a vegetarian ever since. Thankfully, I no longer have to explain why I- as a Muslim- have chosen to become a vegetarian amongst my family and friends or face a barrage of questions before I tuck into my veggie dinner. However, for many people the concept of a Muslim vegetarian is still confusing. So I wanted to introduce you a few - an eco-warrior, one of faith, and one vegetarian for animal rights.

"Are Muslims allowed to be vegetarians?" and "Why would any Muslim want to be a vegetarian?" usually follows the polite explanation that I don't eat meat. Over the years my responses to these questions changed but I now usually respond with a rather non-committal 'well, it depends on the person'. I have been asked to speak as a Muslim vegetarian on a couple of occasion and whilst I was more than happy to do it, I often felt uneasy 'representing' Muslim vegetarians due to the diverse views and opinions we hold.

For some Muslims, the decision to become a vegetarian has been a truly personal experience with no relation to their religion whilst for others it stems directly from their Islam faith. Caring for the environment may have been a root concern whilst for others protecting animals was the primary motivation. In the spirit of showcasing this diversity, I have asked three Muslim to answer set questions about their vegetarianism and I hope you find their responses as fascinating as I did!
1. Eco-Warrior Vegetarian
- Jordanian Director of Munqeth Mehyar Friends of the Earth Middle East, Jordan

1. How long have you been a vegetarian and what encouraged you to become a vegetarian?
It's been 14 years now and I became a vegetarian as the result of a personal experience.
2. Would you advocate that all Muslims consider and take up vegetarianism?
I would advocate that everyone consider becoming a vegetarian when they pass the age of 40.
3. Did Islam play a big part in your decision to become a vegetarian?

4. What have the reactions to your vegetarianism been like from the Muslim/non-Muslim community?

I would say that in our culture eating meat is a must, hearing that some one does not eat meat out of choice was considered to be unusual and weird.

5. Finally, what is your favorite vegetarian meal?
Salads and vegetable spaghetti 2. Vegetarian of Faith
Rianne ten Veen- Green Muslim and author of '199 Ways To Please God ' a faith-based green guide

1. How long have you been a vegetarian and what encouraged you to become a vegetarian?
Not sure there was a single moment (or that full time vegetarians would be happy with me considering myself vegetarian - my intention and preference is clearly to be vegetarian, but sometimes it's not appropriate to push your preference, so I do end up eating some fish or chicken). Whilst living in Argentina I'd eat quite a bit of meat as part of existing local culture; in the Netherlands I ate much less for this same reason. When living in Belgium I never bought meat as I couldn't consider cooking animals, it felt too cruel. Now in the UK I still never buy meat as I know vast majority of meat on sale is from animals raised in 'non-fitra' situations (as Muslims we shouldn't just care about how animals were killed, but also have a responsibility to ensure that animals have a chance to live their life as God intended them to live, and definitely not locked up in tiny cages being fed a non-natural diet, e.g. grains or soy to grass-eating cows) and do not want to have contributing to that system too much on my record for Day of Judgment.
2. Tell me one piece of information that you would like others to know about being a Muslim vegetarian?
Maybe more a question: all vegetables are halal, by definition, and the Quran and hadith mention many good qualities of vegetables; how come they are so scarce then at many a Muslim event where food is provided?
3. Would you advocate that all Muslims consider and take up vegetarianism?
It is not up to me to say what others, Muslim or not, should or should not do. For environmental, health, animal welfare and so many other reasons, I would suggest people do try to give meat a break more often.
4. Did Islam play a big part in your decision to become a vegetarian?
Most definitely. Just read how positively the Qur'an mentions vegetables (e.g. 6:99, 6:141, 16:10-11, 50:9-11) but just tolerates meat (e.g. 6:142); note how rarely Prophet Muhammed PBUH ate meat. With global grain prices going up to feed our (increasingly cloned or artificially inseminated) cattle and chickens out-pricing the poorest; with intensive farming contributing increasingly to climate change; with meat generally having a significantly higher eco-footprint than vegetables contributing need to over-exploit arable land; with fish demand leading to species collapse and genetically modified farmed fish... a more vegetarian diet seems much more Islamic to me.
5. What have the reactions to your vegetarianism been like from the Muslim/non-Muslim community
I've been quite surprised at the negative response from Muslims - as if choosing not to eat meat equated to making it 'haram' (forbidden) and sounding surprised when I replied with a question whether they'd made haram all the vegetables they never ate?
6. What is your favourite vegetarian meal?
A big mixed salad: fresh raw spinach leaves, tomatoes, carrots, cucumber, red onion, fresh garlic; sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds (the 'good cousin of the naughty cousin': no marijuana, but very healthy), slightly roasted pine nuts; a dressing of organic olive oil, balsamic vinegar, mustard... delicious! 3. Animal Rights Vegetarian
Summreen Sheikh- Founder of Vegetarian Muslims Group on Facebook and works in the environmental sustainability sector in the UK

1. How long have you been a vegetarian and what encouraged you to become a vegetarian?
Since I was five, I learnt about animals at school and decided not to eat meat anymore as every time I saw the meat I thought of the animal.
2. Tell me one piece of information that you would like others to know about being a Muslim vegetarian?
It's very normal and halal.
3. Would you advocate that all Muslims consider and take up vegetarianism?
No, I would encourage them to think about where their meat comes from. To learn about what is required for their food to be truly halal and question if they genuinely think that the meat industry meets all these requirements. I would also suggest that they look into the consumption of meat in the time of our Prophet and see how eating meat was treated. We are encouraged to think for ourselves as Muslims, not follow the masses.
4. Did Islam play a big part in your decision to become a vegetarian?

5. What have the reactions to your vegetarianism been like from the Muslim/non-Muslim community?
Muslims especially have a problem accepting something that is not common in their culture. Often people will say its haram (forbidden) to be vegetarian- obviously this is quite insulting and ignorant and requires a lot of self restraint from me! Non-muslims are more open minded to the diversity of my lifestyle choice.
6. Finally, what is your favourite veggie dish?
Daal chaal - lentils and rice- yum! For more on Vegetarianism see:
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This Is What A Muslim Vegetarian Looks Like

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Arwa meets three Muslim vegetarians from around the world whose views, lifestyles and paths to vegetarianism couldn't be more diverse and distinct When I was 16, I discovered the horror of factory farming and decided to become a vegetarian. That was 8 years ago and I have been a vegetarian ever since.