Celebrating Women in our Families – International Women's Day (American University in Dubai)
Writing history – and defining our identity, individually and collectively – is linked to memory and memorialization, which never seem to be complete. Someone is always forgotten. Pieces of the puzzle are always missing. I tend to agree with Napoleon or whoever said “History is but a fable agreed upon”.
In the history – or the fable – of our families and nations, women tend to be left out, unrecalled: their contributions, achievements and legacy, the simple fact that they existed, gave and received, rejoiced and made others happy, suffered and made others suffer, survived, lived and died.
The search for the lost and broken pieces that include places, people, stories and names, and the writing of traces and of extinction are complex processes of displacements, troubling discrepancies, vacuums, fragility and struggles toward meaning. It is like Eten Adnan writes in her poem ‘To be in a time of war’: “To search one’s memory for the past’s residues. To indulge in insomnia. […] To transform matter into spirit. To cross the threshold. To abolish all signs, then go after them. To decode the future. To rust. To wonder how to digest defeat instead of vomiting it in the middle of the night, and go back to one’s bed and pull up the covers”.
It is a particular bravery, in a sea of the most unpredictable, when we seek to unveil the veiled, think the unthinkable, speak the unspoken, endure upheavals, and preserve what we have rather than see it destroyed; when we look for the possibility for the realization of our humanity through the benevolent force of memory that shines its light on what was/still is consigned to oblivion. This memory, the memory of the unremembered, of women’s voices and silences, of the interlaced emotional and historical vectors that structure human relations, helps us understand the obscenity of oppressive social/cultural norms and deconstruct discourses of control .
Annually on 8 March, thousands of events are held throughout the world to inspire women and call for greater equality. A global web of rich and diverse local activities connects women from different countries ranging from political rallies, business conferences, government activities, to women’s craft markets, theatric performances, fashion parades and more.
This year’s International Women’s Day theme is ‘Make it Happen: Celebrate Women’s Achievements’. In the memorialization process of our countries, women tend to be left out, unrecalled. “Her-stories” are usually locked away in the historical dustbin. In that sense, my MEST-353 ‘Women and Gender in the Middle East’ students and I decided to make a difference by thinking globally and acting locally. We organized an event that celebrates the women in our families and raises awareness about the roles of women in intergenerational transmission and as active subjects of history. Students prepared home-made food with their mothers and grand-mothers, wrote short stories about them, created quotes and artistically expressed the legacy of these women, by considering both commonalities and differences across cultures and appreciating women’s diverse approaches to living and fostering change.
LINK TO THE INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S OFFICIAL PAGE OF THIS EVENT:
http://www1.internationalwomensday.com/pamelachrabieh#.VPP2MCzKHU3
Fifty Shades of Black and Blue: Romanticising Abuse
On-screen, Angelina Jolie-as-Maleficent screams in surround-sound, her anguish visible in HD. A little girl sits cross-legged before the screen, her glassy eyes wide and reflecting the scene playing out on the television. Only six years old, she turns around and asks this reporter why Maleficent the fairy is screaming, and why the “bad man took away her wings.” The questions are simple, but how does one explain to a child that rape has become so pervasive in every culture that Disney, the creator of dreams, felt strongly compelled to include it in its blockbuster Maleficent, albeit as subtext?
In an interview with Huffington Post in early 2014, Jolie confirmed that the scene in Maleficent when her character’s wings are ripped off by her lover serves as an analogy for rape.
“We were very conscious, the writer and I, that [the scene in question] was a metaphor for rape,” Jolie said to the Huffington Post. “The core of [Maleficent] is abuse, and how the abused have a choice of abusing others or overcoming and remaining loving, open people.”
Disney’s awareness of rape culture puts in sharp contrast the outrage that sparked across the UAE following the National Media Council’s decision this month to not allow the release of Fifty Shades of Grey in UAE cinemas.
“The [NMC] ruled that 35 minutes of footage would have to be cut from the film Fifty Shades of Grey – more than a quarter of the 125-minute running time – for it to get a UAE cinema release,” reported The National. “The UAE is not the only country where audiences won’t get to see the film – it also failed to secure a release in Kenya, Malaysia and Indonesia, while Chinese distributor Universal Pictures has reportedly decided not to submit it.”
The NMC’s decision caused mixed reactions amongst UAE citizens, with quite a few upset by the censorship, and intent on watching the movie through other means. Others lauded the NMC’s decision as a correct step towards regulating domestic violence and sexual abuse, as Fifty Shades of Grey has been widely accused of perpetuating rape culture.
Those who have not been living under a rock for the past few years will have noticed the buzz created by E.L. James’ Fifty Shades series. An erotic trilogy centered around Literature student Anastasia Steele and the young entrepreneur Christian Grey, Fifty Shades of Grey, its sequels Fifty Shades Darker, and Fifty Shades Freed, have been the source of a lot of hype. Originally a Twilight fanfiction, the story was picked up by Vintage Books and published in 2012. The movie deal was signed in 2013.
Despite being touted as erotica, there is no denying that a large percentage of people worldwide have argued that the relationship between Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele is in fact abusive, as demonstrated by the tumblr.com campaign spearheaded by Ms. Haley Khoshaba, a U.S. citizen who goes by the6thsiren on the micro-blogging site. The campaign consists of the promotional posters of the Fifty Shades of Grey movie altered to reflect the abuse Anastasia suffers at the hands of Christian throughout the movie. The original posters show Jamie Dornan, the actor who plays Christian, standing with his back to the onlooker as he stares out the ceiling-to-floor window of his high-rise office, the phrase ‘Mr. Grey will see you now’ fixed above his head. Ms. Khoshaba’s posters are the same, except for one glaring difference. In her posters, she has replaced the phrase that became the motto of all Christian Grey fans with quotes from the book that depict instances when Christian abuses Anastasia. One such example is: “I want to shout at him, but I refrain – I don’t want to push him too far. Heaven knows what he’d do.” Another example of the blatant manipulation: “‘No,’ I protest, trying to kick him off. He stops. [Christian says] ‘If you struggle, I’ll tie your feet too. If you make a noise, I will gag you.’“ Many have been quick to point out that this particular quote reads much like a kidnapping scene.
In an interview with Ms. Khoshaba via email, she divulged why she felt keen to create the posters: “A while back I casually skimmed through the first book at Barnes and Noble to see what the big deal was about, and right away I noticed that Christian’s actions were abusive. Within the first few chapters he’s already being controlling, demanding, and stalking Ana. Then all the news started circulating that Fifty Shades was being made into a movie, so I figured I should actually read them and maybe discuss the problems with his actions in school. The school thing never happened, so I decided to make a few posters with some lines from the books that would grab people’s attention. This movie adaptation is being called a ‘fairy tale,’ in the commercials and I think a lot of people who never read it were shocked to see what the book is actually like. I never thought it would get as popular as it did, but I think it got a lot of people talking.”
“I think my biggest problem with Fifty Shades of Grey is how much it’s called romantic,” Ms. Khoshaba added. “I see shirts for sale that say ‘Waiting for my Christian Grey,’ I see the commercials calling it a ‘fairy tale,’ I see hotels offering themed romantic suites based off of the series and I think ‘did they even read this?’”
The obsession with Fifty Shades of Grey goes beyond t-shirts and themed romantic suits, unsurprisingly. Now, women in Los Angeles and New York can pay over $12,000 for the Fifty Shades Experience. “Live a weekend with Christian,” claims the webpage at FiftyShadesExperience.com. As reported on EliteDaily.com, “As part of the experience, the woman will get a man, her own Christian Grey, to take her on a helicopter ride and out to a fancy dinner. The man playing Christian will be a professional dominant and he will perform some BDSM acts on the lucky lady. There is even a dominant/submissive contract the woman in this situation must sign and obey for the duration of the weekend when the experience is taking place.”
BuzzFeed has reported that so far fifty-two women have lived this “experience,” with the service being booked all the way through April.
On the popularity of her posters, Ms. Khoshaba said, “I really never expected them to get so popular, I don’t have a lot of followers and my posts don’t usually generate a lot of attention. I don’t know how it happened, I posted it [then] went to sleep and woke up with nearly 100,000 notes. It was cool because it got a lot of people talking and questioning the series. I did receive quite a bit of hate though,” she said.
“Some people would acknowledge that it’s abusive behavior but then tell me just to ignore it, which I think is counter productive. We shouldn’t say ‘just ignore it,’ we should acknowledge that these actions are dangerous. People should make their opinion known. The most alarming messages I got were people saying things like ‘if Ana really hated it she would have left,’ or those that said ‘It can’t be abuse it’s a BDSM relationship’ or ‘she signed a contract,’ which no, she didn’t. I think that erases the very real abuse that many people go through. Not leaving a relationship is not a sign of consent or enjoyment, and there can still be abuse in a BDSM relationship. There’s abuse in every relationship! I think it showed how little of an understanding some people have about abusive relationships,” Ms. Khoshaba said.
One such person who does not believe that Christian and Anastasia’s relationship is abusive is Noura, a Business-major freshman studying at the American University of Sharjah. “Christian loves Anastasia, that much is clear,” she said, over the phone. “He is jealous, true, but then again so are many people. It is difficult to find someone who is not inclined to be jealous when his or her partner is flirting with another person. Christian even takes Anastasia on a helicopter ride – it is really romantic,” she sighed.
According to research conducted by The Representation Project, 1 in 4 women are abused by a partner in their lifetime, while 1 in 6 women are survivors of rape or attempted rape. These numbers are in accordance with findings that “exposures to sexually explicit [media] is linked to men’s acceptance of rape myths and sexual harassment,” as found on The Representation Project’s website. The Representation Project was founded in 2011 by Jennifer Siebel Newsom in hopes of raising awareness and educating the public about rape culture, gender roles, and many topics related to society and stereotypes.
As such, glamorisation of rape and the prevalence of rape culture have become the norm, Ms. Khoshaba stated. When asked what measures she believed should be taken in order to combat these issues, she said, “Talking about it, for one thing. If nobody criticized the relationship in Fifty Shades, then we wouldn’t be talking about it now, [and] campaigns like 50 Dollars, Not 50 Shades wouldn’t exist. If people just accept it and never question anything then nothing will ever change.”
50 Dollars, Not 50 Shades is a U.S.-based campaign started by Tanisha Martin in partnership with the Colorado-Springs Chinese Shao-Lin Center and TESSA, a local advocate and shelter to help end domestic and sexual volence in the Colorado-Springs community. The premise of this campaign is to help such victims by boycotting Fifty Shades of Grey – and donating to the campaign. “Take your $50 for movie tickets, soda, popcorn, and a babysitter for your night out and help a victim of domestic violence and sexual assault instead,” says their website TanishaMartin.com.
In the UAE, similar campaigns exist, prominently spearheaded by the Dubai Foundation for Women and Children. DFWAC, established in July of 2007, “is the first licensed non-profit shelter in the UAE for women and children victims of domestic violence, child abuse, and human trafficking,” as is stated on their website DFWAC.ae.
Ms. Amina Bin Hammad, a counselor at the Dubai Foundation for Women and Children, said, “sexual abuse and violence are topics that few people like to hear and talk about, but it happens and does matter, and we have to stress this particular issue so as to bring awareness to the people.”
———————————————————
Tagline for the image: Image courtesy of Haley Khoshaba/the6thsiren.tumblr.com: Ms. Khoshaba’s poster campaign against Fifty Shades of Grey includes quotes from the book that depict abuse and/or manipulation.
Cages
As I walked down the hallway of the department of religion and sociology, my attention was caught by the writing on the wall. Words surrounding a caged bird. As I came closer, nothing made sense, except for a few scattered. So I stepped back and read what became an invitation to awaken oneself to the harshness of my narrow understandings and the seriousness of the problems faced by many. It is easy to point to a solution that cannot work under the circumstances of the person. It is quite hard to look for the opening latch to set that person free.
“Cages. Consider a birdcage. If you look very closely at just one wire in the cage, you cannot see the other wires. If your conception of what is before you is determined by this myopic focus, you could look at that one wire, up and down the length of it, and be unable to see why a bird would not just fly around the wire any time it wanted to go somewhere.
Furthermore, even if, one day at a time, you myopically inspected each wire, you still could not see why a bird would have trouble going past the wires to get anywhere. There is no physical property of any one wire, nothing that the closest scrutiny could discover, that will reveal how a bird could be inhibited or harmed by it except in the most accidental way. It is only when you step back, stop looking at the wires one by one, microscopically, and take a macroscopic view of the whole cage, that you can see why the bird does not go anywhere; and then you will see it in a moment. It will require no great subtlety of mental powers.
It is perfectly obvious that the bird is surrounded by a network of systematically related barriers, no one of which would be the least hindrance to its flight, but which, by their relations to each other, are as confining as the solid walls of a dungeon.” from Oppression by Marilyn Frye.
فتاةٌ تتوقَّف
حدودي غريبةٌ
تتجاوز أفكار رجلٍ
نسي زوجاته في حضني الضغِنِ،
تتأرجح على كانونٍ بيتيَ
فتداعب جُذى الفائت ورمادَ الآتي.
حدودي مرقَصٌ
تلهو فيه الآلهة فتهجر البشر
وتنصهر أفكارها في أعضائي الفرحة المتلاشية،
تشارك شارعي الفارغ في حريّة السواد العائد
يشدو بين خُصَل شعري المُشرِكِ.
حدودي حوضٌ
تتعرّى في عزلة قحطه كلماتُ الجواري
فتسافر فيها أفئدة رجال الحَي
تغادر المُنزَلَ وتتراشق أسهم الجَحدِ
فتقابلها بسمة إثمي المتعجرفِ.
حدودي اضمحلالٌ
تثِب على تلألئه مسابح خُجُلِ الجوار
تردّد هواها في أطواءِ مقاصدي،
ألوانُها ألوان سرائر مرشدي بلادي،
أحفظُها في سراديبٍ
جمالُها نُباحُ كلابيَ ومسرّةُ ذئابيَ وعنادي.
حدودي عودةٌ تغدو عودتي
فاكون متتاليةً لنفسي،
لا يشيّئها كلامٌ
ولا يحويها عناق شبابٍ ينادي.
أعادي من أحبُ وأداعب من أعادي.
أعطني اليوم عمرَكَ
فأعطيك زوالَ أغدارِ الماضي.
Celebrating Women in our Families!
Join us this Sunday to celebrate women in our families!
With my MEST ‘Women and Gender in the Middle East’ students.
On the menu: intergenerational/intercultural homemade buffet, live art work and creative writing!
#AUD (American University in Dubai, Media City)
Women and Religions (Workshop, American University in Dubai)
When it comes to religions, such as Judaism, Christianity and Islam, there are many approaches that describe the nature, status and roles of women: from egalitarian to complementarian and traditionalist, from liberal to conservative, and every approach refers to the sacred scriptures while using a different interpretation of the same verses.
Should we look for the foundations of misogyny, sexism and patriarchy in the scriptures and the attitudes/practices of the first communities of believers, or elsewhere? According to right wing secular approaches, every religion existing today discriminates in some way against women, and the scriptures of religions degrade and denigrate women, put them down and designate women as being inferior to men. According to most religious feminists, this may not be the fault of the original prophet/founder or of the first followers. But, it is for sure the fault of those who later on over the years, after the departure of the original prophet, revised the text of those scriptures.
For instance, many scholars believe that Paul did not in fact write the passages calling on women to be silent, and that Islam started out as a socially progressive for women in the environment of Mecca, banning female infanticide and limiting polygamy. For others, the causes of discrimination are to be found in the heritage of ancient customs and laws, the sanctification of existing social structures by religious leaders instead of pushing for justice (ex: unjust inheritance traditions, rape culture, exclusion of women from the religious hierarchy and rituals in many sectarian branches), colonialism and neo-colonialism, wars, or are related to mental illnesses – individual and collective.
The workshop’s goals are to introduce students to this diversity of perspectives and practices, to encourage them to rethink the role of religions in the construction of gender identities and in the management of gender relations, and to remind them of the following: while religion is part of the problem, it can also be part of the solution – when any person’s human rights are perceived to be sacred, and not to depend on the genitals. The Dalai Lama has taken that step and calls himself a feminist.
Rape Culture in the UAE
Rates of sexual harassment continue to rise in the Middle East, feasibly linked to culture-enforced lack of sex education, experts say.
In an interview with Joan Abdalla, a Counselor and Adjunct Professor of Psychology at the American University in Dubai, she has revealed that the absence of awareness could be a contributing factor to how common sexual harassment is becoming, especially when it comes to online harassment.
The phenomenon of sexual harassment is often termed rape culture. According to Dr. Pamela Chrabieh, an Assistant Professor of Middle Eastern Studies and a colleague of Dr. Abdallah at AUD, rape culture is not a new phenomenon and is not found in one particular culture. “It is,” she said, “a combination of mindsets, beliefs, theories and practices in which rape is pervasive and normalized, such as in prisons, in conflict zones – in war zones, rape is used as a psychological warfare – but also in contexts where inequality at different levels exist.”
Considering country size, when it comes to Egypt, Iraq, Syria, Jordan, and the UAE, the approximate ratio is 12:5:2:1:1, respectively. When it comes to illiteracy, the percentage rates of Egypt, Iraq, Syria, Jordan, and the UAE are 26.1:21.5:15.9:4.1:10, respectively.
“Furthermore,” added Dr. Chrabieh, “according to the Euro Mediterranean Human Rights Network, more than 6000 women have been raped since the start of the war in Syria. In Egypt, the Egyptian Center for Women’s Rights and other local/international organizations suggest that the number of rape cases is over 200 000 every year.” The size of the country and literacy rate can clearly bee seen in play in these statistics. Not to mention, the populations of each of these country vary greatly in number.
Regarding the case of UAE, there are 2 documents showing the number of police-recorded offenses from 2003 till 2010 at the national level, revealed Dr. Chrabieh. According to these documents, the number of reports has increased from 44 per year to 72 per year. “However,” she stated in an interview by email, “the recorded offenses do not reveal the exact number of rapes which is probably higher,” which is a view that is shared by Ms. Amina Bin Hammad, a counselor at the Dubai Foundation for Women and Children.
“Regarding sexual abuse, no real numbers have been announced due to cultural reasons, because of the stigma towards sexual abuse,” Ms. Bin Hammad said over the phone, Sunday afternoon. “Sexual abuse and violence are topics that few people like to hear and talk about, but it happens and does matter, and we have to stress this particular issue so as to bring awareness to the people.”
The Dubai Foundation for Women and Children, established in July of 2007, “is the first licensed non-profit shelter in the UAE for women and children victims of domestic violence, child abuse, and human trafficking,” as is stated on their website DFWAC.ae.
Ms. Hammad: All of the foundation is working to raise awareness in community. “Starting from the helpline, 800111, DFWAC offers Dubai and UAE 24-hour online services. Anyone can call to receive information about services, request emergency assistance or referral, or even to learn more about the issues we tackle such as violence against women.”
Since 2007, DFWAC has helped a large number of women and children seeking refuge from abusive conditions.
DFWAC’s service to the community is the exact type of education Dr. Abdallah said is an important factor of all efforts to reduce the prevalence of rape culture. “We do not have sex education in schools, and I think that we need to start talking that up a little, because that can prevent a lot of [harassment] from happening.” She added, “I think that education is the key to pretty much everything, but with education, I think it has to reach at a very young age. I think that we tend to focus on older people, and a lot of kids experience it to, and particularly now with the Internet.”
Dr. Chrabieh and Ms. Bin Hammad stated the media as being a main instigator and sustainer of rape culture. The former stressed the following: “there are many causes for a rape culture to exist and sustain: objectification of women using media and normalizing rape/excusing rape by societies’ media, popular culture and political figures; use of misogynistic language and jokes, [as well as the] glamorization of sexual violence with tolerance of sexual harassment.”
Ms. Bin Hammad made a simpler statement, yet no less poignant, in a resigned tone. “Media has influence over all aspects our lives. It’s the reality [that we live in].”
Even though rape culture is a global phenomenon, it seems to be worse in the Middle East, including the UAE, due to culture-influenced reticence to discuss the subject.
“Anything that has to deal with social-slash-cultural issues that kind of go beyond the norm of what is acceptable, people don’t talk about it a lot,” disclosed Dr. Abdallah. “I think there’s this stigma, sad to say, but people go right to ‘what did you do to contribute to it,’ and there’s a blame factor [towards the victim].”
However, Dr. Abdallah revealed that there is hope after all, despite the rising rate of reports of sexual harassment. “It’s getting better, I have to tell you,” she said, sounding positive, “particularly in the Gulf area. Now we do see agencies that handle this, we see the police handling it, we see them handling it a lot more professionally. [The] police are getting trained in this field, so it has gotten better, probably in the last 5 years.”
The agencies, which Dr. Abdallah mentioned, include DFWAC, as Ms. Bin Hammad was only happy to confirm. She emphasized that sexual harassment, as well as rape culture, are two of the main targets of the foundation, as well as community awareness.
“Besides the DFWAC helpline, we do also campaigns for children to teach them how to protect themselves from sexual abuse, similarly for adults, and there are many conferences and seminars every year that have different topics related to rape culture being discussed by DFWAC all across the UAE.”
The Paris Terror Attacks…Now What?
In light of the recent terror attacks that took place in Paris, many have taken to social media to publish their opinions. Hashtags including #JeSuisCharlie and #JeSuisAhmed went viral on twitter. The world seemed to be buzzing; the terror attacks in France had affected so many people.
What happened as a result of the unprecedented attacks in France was a worldwide dialogue. People- regardless of ethnicity and religion- were voicing their positions on the matter and exchanging their views with others.
Dr. Pamela Chrabieh, who has published seven books on the topic of religion and its relation to politics and culture, believes “most religions’ central message is about love, respect, tolerance, coexistence, conviviality, and peace.” “Personally, I’m not Charlie. I will never use their logic and the type of expression they used; it’s offensive and disrespectful. But at the same time, I condemn every act of violence,” says Dr. Chrabieh.
“If you really wanted to respond to what Charlie Hebdo is doing, you could criticize it, using verbal expression, writing, or maybe even cartoons,” continued Dr. Chrabieh. “Beyond religion, as a human being, you have the choice. You can respond to certain events using violence or you can use peaceful means. So let’s not always put it on the back of religion,” she says.
Dr. Sarah Verdoia, who is a French citizen and specializes in Swedish Language Variation, stands behind her country’s constitution. “I’m against the terror attacks. But am I for the freedom of expression? Yes, I am. This is in our constitution, and this is one of the important values of the French republic,” Dr. Verdoia emphasizes.
“It is in the French constitution that the state is separate from religion, and that religious authorities do not interfere in government affairs; this is a law that we had since 1905,” explains Dr. Verdoia. “Freedom of expression in France doesn’t mean we can say anything. There are some limitations by law, but religion, or expressing something about religion, is not within the limitations. Now, is the majority in France willing to change the law? I’m not sure,” she states.
The aftermath of the acts of terrorism have many wondering what it will mean for Muslims in France.
“Negative consequences, at all levels,” says Dr. Pamela Chrabieh. “Already they are talking about- in France and other European countries and North America- new immigration laws. We’re going to witness more restrictive and discriminatory laws targeting Muslims. Although this wasn’t mediatized, there were many attacks on mosques and Muslims. But there are counter reactions based on studies. For example, it was found that less than 2% of terror attacks in Europe were done by Muslims” she states.
When asked if she envisioned a positive outcome for Muslims following the aftermath of the unfortunate events, Dr. Chrabieh’s reply was straightforward. “I don’t see a positive outcome. What could be the positive outcome? A sense of unity between Muslims? The more Muslims will withdraw themselves from the countries they live in, the more they will be perceived as outcasts,” she explains.
Knowing that France’s way of eradicating terrorism is to potentially enforce new immigration laws, Dr. Verdoia did not seem to agree with her country’s stance. “French citizens killed other French citizens, that’s important to mention. The terrorists were born and raised in France. It would be sad for politicians to limit immigration with the excuse of terrorism because it isn’t related,” Dr. Verdoia says. “If we focus the debate in France on immigration and Islam, then we are missing the point. I think we should focus on why those French citizens feel the need to do this.”
Students and alumni of AUD also have opinions of the terror attacks and what the aftermath of the attacks could mean for Muslims.
The infamous cartoons offended Laima Daudzai, a 21-year-old international studies student. “Making such comics was like inviting trouble,” says Daudzai.“Some people claim that the cartoonists were trying to show how extremists use Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) to justify what they do and by being offensive they are trying to bring change with the use of ‘shock therapy.’ The only successful way change can happen is gradually,” she says.
Bassel Hussein, a 19-year-old electrical engineering student, is appalled by the attacks. “When terrorists, like the Kouachi brothers, use violence, they are tarnishing the image of Islam and all Muslims. Those who don’t know any better think that this is what my religion calls for its followers to do,” says Hussein. “I don’t want anyone to think that all 1.6 billion of us are terrorists, but unfortunately, I think we can expect more hate crimes against Muslims,” he says.
Sylvia Sarkies, a 21-year-old journalism student who graduated in 2014, stresses that she is neither with Charlie nor is she with the attackers. “I believe that freedom of speech needs limits, however, I do condemn the attacks,” mentions Sarkies. “It’s not going to be easy for Muslims living in France. Because of the actions of some radicals, the innocent will suffer,” she says.
Regardless of the differing opinions that have circulated on social media following the events in Paris, everyone can agree that judging a whole religion based on the actions of terrorists is unjust. Preying on Muslims by use of hate crimes is just as appalling as the Charlie Hebdo massacre itself.
Tariq Ramadan, a Swiss-Egyptian writer and Professor of Contemporary Islamic Studies, says, “In the name of the rule of law, democracy and human rights, we cannot accept that populations are targeted and discriminated against in the name of the war against terrorism.”
It is important to understand that terrorists do not represent the values of Islam or Muslims and that generalizing when it comes to this matter could prove dangerous. If the rights of innocent French Muslim citizens are violated as a result of the Paris attacks, then the true issue will be left unresolved.
——————————————————————————————————-
FIND THE ARTICLE ALSO HERE: http://www.mbrscpost.blogspot.ae/2015/01/the-paris-terror-attacksnow-what.html
لنخرج في ليل المرأة
أعطني يدك
افتح هذا الباب الأزرق
وخض معي في مشاعل المدينة
محارق تضحى صخوراً
وأحلام لا تعرفها اليقظة
إلّا في سواقي مَنَوية
تُقِلّ سفنُها الممحية الرجال نحو كوادر الليل الفاسقة
أعطني يدك
فلنشهد التاريخ
نسرق لحظاته الأخيرة
تلهث هذيان العاطفة
تقلّد الزهور القاتمة
في حقول العدل المحروقة
تشتمها الشمس ويتفاداها القمر
تعال معي
في هذا المساء المخضرم
تتخبّط فيه ألوان الحق البالية
بين حصى المجاري وأبوالها
تعزّيني بمضيي العذب الرخيم الخافت
تتفادى أركانَه أجسادُ شقيقاتي البالية
تعال نغنّي
تلك الصلوات المختلة الخالية
تعزفها سطور صراخ المومسات
بين كلمات رجال الوطن الهاتفة القاذفة
وتتلقّاها أوزار مضيّهم المتدحرج نحو آفات الهيولى الغاضبة.
تعال نغنّي
ونكتب
صفحةً أخيرة
تنتظرها الآلهة
منذ ارتدّ يوليان
وتردّد رفضي
في أصداء الأمم الغاشية
تعال
نكتب بدايتنا الطائشة
تعال نكتب انطفاء الممكن،
تعال نزجر
تاريخ ابتداء اللاشيئية ونهاية المرأة