Dear Red Lips High Heels’ readers, I have a story to tell, as I am sure others will recognize themselves in its content. I am not writing just to express myself. I am writing because of others… Other men and women who were abused in their childhood, neglected, maltreated, physically, sexually, emotionally… I am writing […]
Author Archives: Red Lips High Heels
Why we must teach/learn Peace
The first step toward change is awareness. The second step is acceptance. (Nathaniel Branden) Following the analysis of several documents tackling the issue of war in the Middle East, a student of mine asked this morning: “How can there be Peace in this bloody chaotic no man’s land?” This particular question settled in my mind […]
Conseils à un libanais
Par Davina Maria — Inspiré de Conseils à une parisienne d’Alfred de Musset Oui, si j’étais homme, violent et coléreux Je voudrais, monsieur, Faire comme vous; Sans peur ni pitié, sans tragédie ni drame, A toutes les femmes Faire un mauvais coup Je voudrais n’avoir de soucis au monde Que ma bouche qui gronde Mon […]
Ma petite histoire – aux lectrices et lecteurs de Red Lips High Heels
Je suis une survivante de guerre et voilà mon histoire. Pardonnez-moi de ne pouvoir divulguer mon nom pour le moment. Peut-être qu’un jour… La guerre, pour moi, advient à l’externe, vu que je suis libanaise et que je vis dans un environnement de violence généralisée, et interne, au sein de mon foyer. J’ai grandi dans […]
Equality doesn't mean justice
I always hear that men and women should be equal. On paper, I agree with it. But practically, it’s not doable. Men and women are not equal, and chances are they will never be. When you have two of one thing, there’s a power dynamics at play. There are two genders, two roles, two social […]
The Road to Hell
Following this morning suicide bombing at a police checkpoint on the Beirut-Damascus highway in east Lebanon killing one police officer and wounding 32 people, the blocking of several roads in the capital, the raid in a hotel for terror suspects, and the numerous articles published few days ago about ISIS (The Islamic State of Iraq […]
My Islam is that of Amina Wadud
My latest encounter with a fellow Lebanese so-called feminist led to her following statement: “There are no Muslim Feminists. It is a pure contradiction. Islam oppresses women. As long as Muslim women are defending their religion, they cannot claim being feminists”. Every discussion about “Islam” and “women” must begin with a definition of Islam. Simply […]
من أجل نسويّة فاعلة
د. باميلا شرابيّة ~~تركّز عدّة دراسات حاليًّا وخاصّةً منذ بدء ما سمّي بالربيع العربيّ، على مكانة المرأة بشكلٍ عامّ، والنسويّة بشكل خاصّ، في سياق الحرب والاحتلال العسكريّ والنزاع الأهليّ في بلدان المشرق العربيّ. أذكر على سبيل المثال: أمل عميرة، أميرة يوسف بدري، داليا سعيد مصطفى، دينا جورجيس، هيفاء زنكنة، إلخ. تعكس هذه الدراسات التزاماً عميقاً […]
MIGRANT DOMESTIC WORKERS IN LEBANON
More than two hundred thousand migrant workers and approximately five percent of Lebanon’s population – most of them women from the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Ethiopia – work in Lebanese households. This type of employment is called domestic work and includes many tasks in private homes such as cooking, cleaning, laundry, caring for children or […]
ساعِدٌ تَعِب
ساعدي يحمل الأوهام المتدحرجة على أيّام رجال طرابلس الباكية، يؤجّجها فمي ويلوّنها بكلمات أمعائي، فتتفيّأ بها لتحيك مستقبل موتي المستحيل. ساعدي يغرِف الزمنَ بين تساقط الرمال على فَرْجي، فيبتسمُ تاريخاً يمْرَق الخوفَ، يحضن الجفاء والغضَب، ويمازح سدود مياه الملائكة الضائعة. ساعدي يدعو المروجَ تنبتُ ليتلاشى البشر، وترويه الآلهة بدموع الملحمة المعلّقة على وَبَر بشرتي المتثائبة، […]