Crinjaat: The meme page we deserve

When a cursory scroll on the TikTok FYP lands you in the niche recesses of Arab-Egyptian memes, the occasion always warrants 15 shares to your closest friends and the kind of laugh you hope no one hears. ‘Crinjaat’ is a centralised hub for these gems, excavating them from the deepest, darkest depths of Arab TikTok for your cackling enjoyment. The two anonymous admins for the account are some of the most outspoken feminist and pro-Palestine content creators in the field. Rather than posting news, the two are advocating through the subverting absurdity of memes—which we believe to be an increasingly effective currency in modern day activism.

Crinjaat was born in the dark ages of the global pandemic, when the creators were hit with the tidal wave of collective sadness rolling across the planet. The founders of the account began trading memes privately to lift each other’s spirits, and in doing so accumulated a wealth of memes that became too good not to share. “We couldn’t believe how resourceful and beautiful Egyptians were in using an amazing tool like TikTok, making this content that’s super niche but also super realistic,” one of the anonymous admins recalls to Dazed MENA. “We wanted to share these pieces of content with a wider range of diverse audiences that are kind of like us, living in a bubble.”

Between the lip-syncing, cringe skits with dialogue that has us barking, and the necessary dose of cat-disrupting-worshippers content, you’ll find Crinjaat is crafting a bigger picture; one that celebrates the beauty of diversity. “We are genuinely obsessed with anything that is intersectional,” one of the admins tells Dazed. “You can never expect that a niqabi woman can break dance, or that this guy who lives in upper Egypt and barely has internet will walk miles to get some signal to work on an amazing edit…Social media fascinates me because it exposes you to unusual individuals in unusual settings, tearing down any stereotypes or stigmas you have about a certain group of people.”

It’s the sheer chaos and absurdity of content that function as a dismantling force against preconceived notions of what an Arab can and should be. When Crinjaat posts videos of, say, a young Egyptian man being celebrated by throngs of locals as he twerks in the street, it’s deconstructing fixed ideas about masculinity and convention held in Arab culture. “What unites this region is sparking conversations about stereotypes of different Arabs using Instagram as a tool, by making fun of each other’s cultures,” the creators explain. “It brings us closer through the only thing that works: humour. It’s breaking down political boundaries—whether it be borders, dialects or, most importantly, pride.”

But it’s not just subverted modes of irony that Crinjaat wields to bridge gaps. The creators’ priorities shifted as their page gained traction, viewing their new-found influence as something to maintain with intention and responsibility. “The moment we gained credibility, we used that platform to be a part of the Egyptian feminist movement that flourished a couple of years ago,” the duo elucidated. The two would often post sexist or prejudiced creators, not having to say anything in the post to mark the bigots as targets for derisions in the comments. “We had the power to shift the narratives about certain figures, events and societal concepts. We realised we made it when we were able to reach out to celebrities and organisers to call out harassment, suspicious events and individuals to raise awareness and help protect women as much as we could.”

Sometimes the most uniting force we can hope for is sharing a laugh over memes ridiculous enough to negate language and distinction entirely, like an old man in a thobe on a Segway through someone’s living room as his friends cackle at his downfall. There’s such a diversity of content on the Crinjaat page, with silly-goose behaviour spawning from every region in the Arab world, that it becomes impossible to take an ‘othering’ stance. “We aim to make our audience feel like we all relate to one another, fully grasping that this bubble we live in is a made up society that is created to separate and alienate individuals,” the admins clarify. “Collective awareness helps us feel less lonely, more powerful and this is the community that we are trying to build.”

Many of their captions foreground the incentive to support Palestine; to continue boycotting and support local businesses. But what is it that the admins behind Crinjaat truly want to achieve with their posts and community-building? “One word: Solidarity,” they explain to Dazed. “Solidarity that operates from a place of love and acceptance. A place that is truly genuine, transcending ethnicity, race, age and sexuality. Reshaping communities’ collective consciousness to choose kindness and ultimately, the right side of history.”

Crinjaat’s admins understand that humour in today’s world can easily tread into offensive territory, especially in the grating polarisation of the current climate. Their latest efforts focus on projects around displacement and refugees, particularly those fleeing political turmoil and war zones in Egypt. They aim to highlight the harsh conditions these refugees face and raise awareness about the prejudice we may hold against them through their posts. By addressing both the minor and more pervasive forms of racism, Crinjaat hopes to foster unity rather than division over resources like food, jobs or safety. 

Right now, humour as a connecting power is more crucial than ever. It’s meme page admins like these, who understand their influence, that have the opportunity to dissolve marginsalisation bit by bit. Through their content, they teach us that even if some worlds are unfamiliar to us, humour is universal. 

“We hope to see unity, acceptance, kindness and awareness. We hope we bring cultures together, celebrating our differences but also acknowledging what we have in common. Above all, solidarity, especially during times like the one we live in right now.”