Divorce, that Luxury Alternative to Honor Violence or Misery

Marriage can be a difficult decision to make. The decision to divorce is even tougher, even in today’s society, where celebrities divorce after 55 hours (see Britney Spear’s first marriage) or after 72 days (see Kim Kardashian’s arguable publicity stunt of a marriage). In the Western world we’re lucky to have the right to decide to marry whoever we want, and to divorce for whatever reason (although I must ask, why is the divorce process such a lengthy procedure?) In the Middle East marriage is often a more formal, family-oriented affair; divorce, while legal in Islam, is a frowned-upon affair that usually rests solely on the husband’s whim.

Yet even the Middle East shows signs of the Western world’s penchant for making spur-of-the-moment decisions, as is evidenced by the recent divorcing of a Saudi man’s wife over a mall loudspeaker. Bikya Masr reported on a Saudi man who, after seeing his wife accept another man’s telephone number while out shopping in the mall, got on the mall’s loudspeaker system to tell his wife he was divorcing her.

Public humility? Check. Deciding to throw away a sacred vow because of one silly incident? Check. Like many American marriages that are built more on lust than love, it would seem safe to say that this Saudi marriage was built on a foundation of distrust and not love; after all, even if you’re angry, you don’t jump on the mall loudspeaker to tell the whole world that you’re breaking up with the mother of your children. The actions of this Saudi husband are abhorrent, and they highlight a strange sort of contradiction where men are to be accorded the highest honor, particularly in a marriage, and yet this husband decided to publicly air his dirty private laundry.

The preferred method some Middle Eastern men (or the families) take when dealing with misbehaving wives would be honor killings, or honor violence; after all, why let the wife (who was most likely abused or mistreated) go free and have the choice to make a new life? Throwing a troublesome woman into the Nile is a much preferable option, as was the case for one Egyptian woman who was recently tossed into the Nile River to die by her own family after she refused to remarry her abusive, much-older ex-husband.

Honor violence is one of the many tragedies women face in the Middle East, but what makes it perhaps the most despicable tragedy of all is that it is not simply a sexist matter, nor is it a private matter between a couple. Many times honor violence is approved (and even encouraged) by a victim’s mother or other female relative (though I believe sister’s might not be so keen on having their siblings battered, as they can empathize too easily). Countless honor killings are preformed not just by the spurned or cuckolded husband but by fathers, brothers, uncles. It is incomprehensible that a mother could condone the killing of her own daughter; that a grandmother would accept the treatment of her granddaughter as a punching bag.

Sourced from muslimwomennews.com, an excellent and intriguing website.

Divorce is legal even under strict Islamic shariah law; therefore, it should not be as stigmatized and frowned upon as it is. If a man is technically allowed to have several wives under Islamic law, why can’t a wife who is just one of many wives and who is more or less ignored be able to decide on divorcing her husband without risking a violent retaliation, or social suicide? Why does she have to give up her kids in order to be free?

Coinciding with the recent Nile-drowning attempt (the young woman lived), Egyptian Parliament Member Mohammed EL-Omda has decided to push legislation that would overturn the approved circa-2000 bill that granted Egyptian women their right to file for divorce. This shocking bit of news is troublesome for Egyptian women and Middle Eastern women in general; after all, Egypt was traditionally seen as a model country among it’s neighbors. And while the as-of-late ‘moderate’ Muslim Brotherhood is going strong at the moment, the majority of power (excluding the SCAF) is in the hands of people religious enough to call themselves Islamists: in these times of stress and uncertainty in Egypt, who’s to say that confidence-lacking Egyptian men might not pull a Taliban and decide to do away with womens rights, starting with women’s right to divorce, in order to boost their confidence and create an illusion of “security and stability?”

In the West, divorce is difficult because one party may still love the other one, or has been emotionally hurt. In the Middle East, divorce is difficult purely because of a sense of honor, a sense of property and a sense of familial propriety which is hopelessly outmoded. Either way, it’s not a pretty situation, and there is no need to make a difficult decision worse by purposely punishing one of the parties involved.

To conclude with a passage from the Qu’ran, Surat Al-Baqarah (The Cow):

And when you divorce women and they have [nearly] fulfilled their term, either retain them according to acceptable terms or release them according to acceptable terms, and do not keep them, intending harm, to transgress [against them]. And whoever does …

S-L-M

Links:

1. http://bikyamasr.com/63265/egypt-mp-calls-for-end-to-womens-right-to-divorce/

2.http://bikyamasr.com/64198/woman-thrown-into-egypts-nile-over-divorce-highlights-honor-violence/

3.  http://bikyamasr.com/63386/saudi-man-divorces-wife-over-loudspeaker-at-mall/

Slower than a Snail, but Moving Forward All the Same: Saudi Women’s Rights

It’s not easy being a woman, period, in the Middle East, but in Saudi Arabia being a woman takes on a whole new meaning. Their infamous lack of rights-from not being able to drive to not being able to vote (recently ‘amended’) to not even being able to go out or travel by one’s self (and this applies to foreign, Western women tourists too)-have long been condemned by human rights groups everywhere.

Yet there is progress occurring in Saudi Arabia even as women near and far across the Middle East continue to suffer at the hands of dominating, sexist men. Just take a look at these recent measures:

A Mall Without Men

Rarely do women have any rights over men, but such was the case when it came to visiting a mall in Saudi Arabia: apparently, single men were barred from visiting the malls except for during weekday lunchtime hours so that the malls could be “family-friendly” places and women wouldn’t be harassed. Recently it was decided that the law would be changed. While this might not seem as a move towards women’s rights, since women once again might be exposed to, ahem, lustful men who stalk them in public spaces, it nevertheless is a very big step in the direction of true women’s rights: acknowledging that men and women are equal and that both should be allowed to roam the same public place, in trusting that both can behave themselves! What was that phrase from the 1950s-”Separate is NOT equal?”

A Woman at the Olympic Games

Like anything else that the West might deem “fun,” athletics are highly discouraged for women in Saudi Arabia. Women athletes do, nevertheless, exist, and as in Iran they are usually prevented from participating in sporting events abroad. Yet one Dalma Malhas may become the first Saudi woman in recent history to participate in a sporting event of such magnitude as the upcoming Olympics in London. While the decision to allow her to participate has not yet been officially declared, this is a great milestone for women athletes that the possibility is even being considered. However, the reason Dalma Malhas is even being considered is probably because she is an equestrian, which is pretty “tame” in terms of dress (watching the Hampton Classic equestrians in full riding dress in 80-degree heat always makes me sweat) as well as contact: it’s not like soccor or volleyball, where women wear skimpier uniforms and are pushing, shoving, sweating and moving in, ahem, unladylike ways. Even if she will be forced to wear a hijab or other Islamic-style dress to the Olympics, Dalma will still pave the way for aspiring Saudi atheletes.

Lingerie Shops Run by Women, for Women

Sourced from smh.com.au

Women selling lingerie to women sounds like a no-brainer: what salesman could possibly know better than a woman when it comes to how a bra fits, and what undies are comfortable yet attractive? Yet in Saudi Arabia, where women are basically forbidden to work, lingerie shops were staffed with men. Indeed, this was another one of those awkward situations that the Saudi government got itself into: women and men are so deterred from interacting, and yet if a young girl needs help buying her first bra, she’s going to have an older man hand it over to her? After lobbying  and complaining, the Saudi government finally decided to let women work in lingerie shops, thus not only creating new jobs for women but also insuring that shopping for underthings is a more relaxing experience!

Joining the Anti-Bod Squad

Out of all of these recent achievements for Saudi women, perhaps the most thrilling (and telling) of all is that women are being considered to join the Religious Police, which I have nicknamed the ‘Anti-Bod Squad’ since making sure women are dutifully covered is just one of their many arduous tasks. If Saudi women are being deemed worthy enough to judge others and take authority over even a man, than that means that they are being seen as equals. However much I applaud the shiekhs for even considering this, I do feel that allowing women to join the religious police will be a bust. What sexist man is really going to take a woman “arresting” him without putting up a fight? A woman telling a man what to do? Sacre bleu!

S-L-M

Links:

1. Saudi Women Break a Barrier: The Right to Sell Lingerie, by Thomas J. Lippman on Jan. 21, 2012:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/22/opinion/sunday/saudi-women-break-a-barrier-the-right-to-sell-lingerie.html?_r=1&src=tp&smid=fb-share

2. Al Ahlam http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/37664.aspx

3. Bikaya Masr http://bikyamasr.com/63741/single-saudi-men-not-welcome-in-shopping-malls/

4. http://bikyamasr.com/58754/saudi-king-suggests-allowing-women-to-join-religious-police/

Hello, I Shall Seduce you with My General Womanliness

Books are not particularly sexy. A person’s eyes can be seductive, depending on the person. And wearing a headscarf and a bulky full-length coat? In general, not very sexy at all.

According to the Saudi  Commitee for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice (also known as the morality police), women with attractive eyes might now be forced by law to cover them up. The ‘Virtue vs Vice

Even eyes are deemed too beautiful to be shown. Courtesy of allrashidmall.com

‘ committee (it appears that many Islamic countries have one of these) always makes me want to cry and laugh at the same time: cry, because they almost always are demeaning to women and the idea of such a committee is so against human rights; and laugh because, well, I cannot believe that these people are  permitted in the government when they clearly have issues.

Just when things seem to be looking ‘up’ for Saudi women (i.e. women were recently granted the right to vote in elections…in 2012) something as absurd as this happens to keep the freedom level in check. Hello, the barbaric men who go crazy at the sight of a woman’s eyes should be covered up (or, better yet, have their lusting hands handcuffed!), not the women. I’m guessing sunglasses might become a la mode if this ban takes place, but what I really want to know is:

Who’s going to be the Beauty Queen judges and decide what constitutes as a ‘seductive’ pair of eyes??

Next up on the banning block are books, or more specifically, Islamic Sex, a sort of “Sex manual” advocated by the Obedient Wives Club in Malaysia.  The Malaysian government wants to ban the book, which is odd when one considers that the book insists that wives be “subservient” and give in to their husbands  sexual needs.

Even still, the government ban on the book is not too surprising, given that sex is usually a touchy and private subject in Islam.   But the book is actually promoting a strict, stern way of thinking,and even though it’s line of thought is narrow-minded, it wouldn’t hurt the society to learn something about a topic that they often know little about.  What was most disturbing about this situation was the fact that the book was read by an organization called the Obedient Wives Club.

Who convinced these women to call themselves the ‘Obedient Wives Club’??

Scarves haven’t been banned in Iran, as they are part of the uniform women must wear when they leave the house, along with a manteau, or long coat. In Jafar Panahi’s 2000 film The Circle or Dawayeh (the same director of Offside)

A still of Nargess in her chador (from Dayereh). Courtesy of Iranian.com

follows several different women over the course of one day, highlighting the inequalities women face. Pari,a recently released convict, tries to enter a hospital to see an old friend. She is barred from entering unless she wears a chador, the traditional longblack cloack that Iranian women hold closed with their hands.  Never mind  that she already wears a scarf over her head and a long shapeless coat; apparently, that is deemed too sexy for any of the glum people visiting the hospital.

The women in The Circle  have officially been stripped of their physical sexiness, and society tries-as we see-to strip them of that other highly admirable quality: strength. A mother is stripped of her  child and pride when she decides to leave her daughter on the street. Nargess, another ex-convict, is stripped of her strength and power when she realizes she is too scared to board a bus for Azerbaijan. Physical or highly overt sexual objects-such as a woman’s hair, or a sex manual-are easily banned in Iran, but society just can’t resist desexualizing (and effectively dehumanizing) women further.

Towards the end of the film, we meet a woman moonlighting as a prostitute -her excuse? “Honey, will you pay the bills?”-who is caught when she enters a man’s car. Banned from the normal wiles that a prostitute would use to attract attention (heavy make-up; flashy, tight clothes) the woman is dressed like any other in Iran: in a head scarf and baggy attire. Yet her normal attire doesn’t stop a man from picking her up, nor does it stop the police from arresting her.  Even if she was wearing a burqa, the woman could still be picked up a prostitute. The scarf can’t be banned. So what’s next?

Are we going to star banning women? Because to a man, there isn’t a more sexual object than the mere presence of a woman, whether or not she  is baring her eyes, her skin, or is sexually knowledgeable!

S-L-M

Links:

1. “Saudi Women with Attractive Eyes Forced to Cover”: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2063143/Saudi-women-attractive-eyes-forced-cover-resolution-passed.html

2. “Malaysia to Ban ‘Obedient Wives Club’ Islamic Sex Book: http://bikyamasr.com/47242/malaysia-to-ban-obedient-wives-club-islamic-sex-book/

“Offside” is Right in the Center

A girl goes to watch a soccer match ( “football,” if you’re not American). She buys her ticket, finds her seat, and cheers on her team. She holds her breath as the team she supports nears a goal, she groans when the enemy team scores, and when it’s all over, she goes home.

This taken-for-granted act of women across the Western world is one that women in Iran would consider a luxury, or better yet, an impossibility. Even something as simple as a woman going to a football match is forbidden, and no, it’s not because the Iranian government doesn’t want it’s women to become a bunch of tomboys shirking their feminine duty. As the country-boy soldier Samandar says in Offside, it’s because the women will “hear curses that they shouldn’t listen to.” Well, that’s his take, anyways.

Films about the Middle East can be divided into two groups: those that are made just to tell a story, like any movie in Hollywood, and those that are meant (and usually created by a Western director, or a Middle Eastern director with a rebel bent) to show the world some aspect of Middle Eastern culture, which usually means displaying the abject poverty, hopelessness or infringement on civil rights that often exists in many of these countries. However, Jafar Panahi’s film Offside is quite refreshing in that he manages to take a dig at Iran’s ludicrous civil laws and sexism without making one feel miserable. The film tackles just one offshoot or facet of sexism in Iran-the fact that women are not allowed to go to a stadium to watch a sports match-and manages to cover it with humor and lightheartedness.

The film follows the “capture” of several girls who try to sneak into the stadium for Iran’s match against Iran that will qualify it to go to the World Cup games and are quickly caught, despite the fact that they are dressed as boys. Some of the girls are so well-dressed that even the soldiers remark: “Is it a she or he?”

The lovely “boys” listening to the final minutes of the match while en route to the Vice squad:

VERSUS

Their soldier captors (here, gleefully celebrating when Iran beats Bahrain).

The girls, who mock the Middle Eastern stereotype that all girls are docile, quiet and “girly,” are quite the characters and pretty brave (or crazy, if one is similarly football-obsessed) considering that their actions will eventually lead them to the Vice Squad, Iran’s version of the “morality police.” During most of the film they are kept in a pen right outside the stadium walls while waiting for the Army chief to arrive, thus teasing them as they can hear the crowd roar with delight or despair. There’s “Soldier Girl” who get’s to watch the game because she dresses in a rather-authentic military uniform; “Crybaby Girl”  who loses her uncle once they’re inside the stadium; “Chador-Girl”, who hides under the robe she brought when her friend’s father notices her; “Uppity Girl,” who looks very much like a boy and has quite the mouth; “SadGirl,” who tried to attend the game in testament  to her friend, and “Bathroom-Girl,” who stars in the film’s arguably most comedic moment when she demands to be taken to the bathroom. Seeing that she is still recognizable as a girl, the soldiers devise for her an ingenious mask out of a fan poster:

Barely able to see where she’s walking, she’s accompanied to the men’s bathroom(after all, only men’s facilities exist!) and an ensuing melee occurs as Tehrani boys try to enter the bathroom, not knowing that a girl is inside. She runs off while her captor is preoccupied, but eventually returns to the holding pen because she felt bad for the Samandar the country soldier and the cattle he grieves about.

The barbs traded between the girls and the soldiers are intensely funny, so one can only imagine how funny the film must be to a Farsi speaker. Sure, the girls are hitting at hard, cold, and silly truths–”So if I was born in Japan I could attend the match? I was born in the wrong country?”–but the actors are so great that the film is highly enjoyable

 What makes the film so natural and both funny and serious at the same time is that it is realistic. Sure, the characters spar fighting words at times, but the “debate” that goes on is a natural one; in “real life” (as opposed to Hollywood) this is how the scene would play out. The girls haven’t analyzed their points to perfection, complete with passionate speeches, and the boys aren’t stereotypically cruel and ignorant, nor are they stereo-typically charitable.

The final scene, one might say, is pure Hollywood, in that Iran wins the match and in the ensuing pandemonium on the street, the bus transporting the girls (and a firecracker-addicted male youth) stops and when the soldiers get out, the girls make a dash for it. One could almost say that it’s a cheesy perfect ending, except for one factor: apparently, the movie was actually filmed during a real-life match, which meant that the director had two outcomes in mind.

Docu-drama? “Real” fiction? However you want to peg Offside, one adjective should always be used: one-of-a-kind!

S-L-M

Links:

1. Offside on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbc5Fgvc1ko

The Hefty Price of Honor, as shown by Jan Goodwin

Not since Fast Food Nation have I read a more epic, cringing and flat-out astonishing (not to mention well-written) piece of non-fiction than Price of Honor, written by Jan Goodwin. Goodwin, an investigative journalist, spent four years in the Arab world interviewing everyone from poor peasant women on the street to high-ranking shiekhas to even the Grand of Al-Azhar himself, in order to (as it states on the cover) “lift the veil of silence on the Islamic World” regarding Muslim women.

The result is mesmerizing: whereas it takes me just a few days to finish a book, this one took me a few weeks. Several times I wanted to put it down and not continue, for I felt that every chapter was more crushing than the next. The

A personal photo taken in Egypt with my husband and some of his family. Hard to believe these women once dressed in mini-skirts like me!

book is so loaded with information and observances that one could easily write a paper on each chapter. What is nice about Goodwin’s style is that she doesn’t simply throw the facts at you, nor does she simply make a list of all the horror stories (although they are a-plenty). Instead, she includes an overview of each country she visits, giving time to their political and economic situations which play a very large role in the treatment of women; as is stated several times, “When Islam is powerful and strong, the treatment of women is good; when Islam is weak or precarious, women are the first to feel the burn.”

Price of Honor was first published in 1994, and a revised edition came out in 2003. My copy happened to be the first one published in 1994; thus, there was no talk of 9/11, no talk of Saddam Hussein being overthrown; Osama Bin Laden was not mentioned anywhere.  One might dismiss this earlier copy as useless, given that it is quite behind current events, but I found it intriguing to see this snapshot of the Middle East from more than 10 years ago. It was interesting to compare what I know now of today’s Middle East with the Middle East that is described in the book.

A surprising note: reading about Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Gaza did not tear at me as much as the other nations did, even though the conditions for women in these countries are by far the worst. I understand that these were/are war-torn countries, countries that were/are poor and where everyone lives in deplorable conditions. What galled me more was the injustice taking place in the countries like UAE, or Egypt, or Kuwait. These countries are exposed to Western people and values and yet still women are looked down upon.  The thought of being able to live a life materialistically identical to any Westerner’s and yet to be fully deprived of your right to even leave the house without permission is beyond comprehension. I guess it was because I identified with these women’s lifestyles the most, and the thought of having to bow down to family tradition chilled me.

Perhaps the worst of all the various quotes that stood out to me were those uttered at a Koran class in Kuwait. The women attending the class were not Kuwaitis: they were American women married to Muslim Kuwaiti husbands, and all remained heavily covered. The hostess, Mia, was a blatant anti-Semite and uttered such disturbing and untrue statements as:

“The American media are controlled by Jews. Prostitutes in the United States are Jews; men who run the striptease industry are Jews….Islam should be the religion that controls the world!” (p. 184) -Mia

 How can an American-born woman be so ignorant? Aren’t there prostitutes of every race and ethnicity-and religion-here in the US? And no religion should control the world; everyone is entitled to their own way of thinking. The backwards-thinking reached a zenith with Hind, their Kuwaiti teacher who had been educated in the West:

“A woman’s beauty should only be seen at home by her husband…A Western woman has to go out by herself, do everything by herslef. This is not freedom. Freedom is to be safe. I do not want eyes following me as i walk….my voice should not be heard by a male who is not my relative….A woman does’t need to work, her husband should take care of her, provide for her.” -Hind (p. 187)

It is nice that most Arab women have such tight family networks and never have to venture out alone for something as simple as going to the corner grocery, but this is not realistic. What if a woman isn’t married? What if her parents are dead? What if she moved across the country for a job? She thus needs to provide for herself. This way of thinking might be nice in theory, but it severely limits women the ability to make something out of themselves. If a woman cannot even go out to buy groceries because the cashier might be a man and will thus “her voice will be heard by him,” well, that is ridiculous and it is certainly not mentioned in the Koran!

As one can see, there is a dearth of quotes in Price of Honor. Here, a look at both anti-women and pro-women sentiments:

Anti-Feminists

“In the United States there are so many different religions that it must be confusing.” -Lubna, a shiekha in the United Arab Emirates. (p. 141)

“It will give my children a bad idea if they see their mother out in the world, working in an office.” -Amal, a young student in the UAE. (p. 143)

“I could never live as you do in America; I would be afraid….you are alone. No, I don’t want what you foreign women call freedom. Our way is better, kinder, i think.” -Sarai, an Afghani woman. (p. 91)

“The role of women has deteriorated because of so-called modernization in the West. Your fashions, short skirts, dancing, women having boyfriends and not husbands, having babies and not being married–this is unlawful. It is also against all women.” -Muslim Sisterhood founder Zeinab al-Ghazali of Egypt. (p. 328)

“Medically, doctor’s say a man’s heart is stronger than a woman’s. Women’s bodies and brains are weaker than man’s, and they are particularly weak when they have their menses.” -Mullah Azad of Pakistan. (p. 64)

“Doctor, we care for you, but we are afraid you will go to Hell because of the way you dress.” –Several Islamist students at a Jordanian university to their professor, Aaara al-Amiri.

Pro-Feminists

“I am sixteen, this is my youth. I should be having fun. Instead, I am here dressed like a peasant grandmother to mourn a dead old man who hated beauty.” -A young girl at the Iranian celebrations of Ayatollah Khomeini’s death. (p. 127)

“I am not against Islam. It is part of my identity, but it is also time that educated women read the Koran for themsleves and make their own interpretations of it, not live with the misinterpretation of Islam that goes against their rights.” -Professor Aara al-Amiri of Jordan (p. 279)

“The Saudi’s are blockheads regarding women and driving. What is better, to have a woman travle in a taxi with a male drivrwho is a stranger or for her to drive her own car.”–A religious man in Jordan. (p. 275)

“As if the government shouldn’t be engaged in more important things than who cuts a woman’s hair.” -A Kuwaiti woman. (p. 160)

“Morality has nothing to do with hiding the face…the fundamentalists always focus so much of their energy on women because they want to divert people from the serious problems of the day.”-Nawal al Saadawi, an Egyptian woman. (p. 332)

S-L-M

Egypt, the Country with Bigger Problems than a Girl and her Body

After the nude photo of Aliaa Magda Elmahdy became world wide news, everyone, it seemed, was trying to find out more about her, or at the very least, find her infamous picture. In the following 4 days since I posted about Aliaa, my blog managed a total of 1,336 views.

Why, I wondered, were so many people looking for Aliaa? And furthermore, why were they were all coming to my blog? I came to the conclusion after doing a little research: most people in the English-speaking world were not blogging or writing about Aliaa. And those who did, like CNN and the Daily Mail UK, did not include her nude photo but an altered version. I myself had not included her photo in my first posting.

Just a few days prior to Aliaa’s disrobing, I had installed a flag counter on my blog. Most visitors were American, but  it appeared that many of the people looking for Aliaa were also from the Middle East: 34 Egyptians, 16 Emiratis, 16 Turks and 14 Saudis alone had found my page. Looking to scorn and rail against her picture, or secretly wanting to view her naked body?

It is kind of amusing when one thinks about how one woman can occupy the minds of so many people. Forget the Occupy Wall Street protesters or those in Tahrir Square: Aliaa’s method of protesting not only took her probably an hour to do, but it most definitely caught people’s attention. Will her actions cause change?

Unfortunately, it might have been bad timing, seeing how Egypt is currently (yet again!) embroiled in protests. You would think, with people getting their eyes shot out and cars burning up and general pandemonium, the people of Egypt would have other things to worry about.

Taken from Aliaa's blogspot account

V.S.

Taken from the Global Post

At the moment, I think Egyptians better be more concerned about what’s happening right outside their own front door and not worry about a girl who posted a nude photo on the internet in protest. I mean, if most Egyptians feel that protesting is okay, then shouldn’t she be allowed her say too?

Public nudity in Egypt I do believe is a crime punishable under law. If the Egyptian government makes moves to punish Aliaa, there will no doubt be an international outcry. I do not wish for Aliaa to be prosecuted for such a “harmless” act, but I disagree with her getting preferential treatment just because she successfully manipulated the media. What about those who came before her (if there were any) who were punished for their crimes? It’s similar to the situation of the woman driver in Saudi Arabia who was saved from being lashed because of public outcry: why is one person exempt while the others suffer? The international world might protest and condemn a punishment, and get justice for one person, but one person is not enough: it is the laws that must be changed.

The Western world feels that it is their right to step in whenever a situation emerges that is deplorable. But if the country is not preforming, say, genocide on it’s citizens, than what right does the West have to block the country’s system of justice? If you find the law deplorable, than bring it to the United Nations, but please don’t let the laws remain and save just one person because the media has caught everyone’s attention. And what does this say about a country like Egypt, if they actually pardon someone like Aliaa? Does it show thay they do not exert enough power on the international level? And when pardoning her, would they stop and consider the fact that, if they are allowing this pardon, that maybe the law needs to be changed?

There’s a lot going on in Egypt at the moment. Egyptians need to get their priorities straight and think rationally. Ousting the military is not a bad idea, given that they have proved to be just as bad as Mubarak recently, but they cannot be ousted unless there is someone to take their place. There must be a leader in Egypt; someone has to be in charge. Otherwise, all Hell will break loose.

And if that happens, anything goes, even photos of naked girls.

S-L-M

Links:

1. “Waiting for Aliaa” by Maya Mikdashi –a really good article http://www.jadaliyya.com/pages/index/3208/waiting-for-alia
2. Aliaa Magda Elmahdy’s personal blog: http://arebelsdiary.blogspot.com/?zx=eeebf28555e066f6

Aliaa Magda Elmahdy: A Girl and her Photo

Girl takes nude photo. Nude photo appears on the internet. What happens?

If you’re a porn star, people salivate and save it to their computers. If you’re a celebrity, the same thing also happens–and the girl either shrugs it off as “any publicity is good publicity” or she tries to sue whoever leaked the photo. If you’re Aliaa Magda Elmahdy, said girl get insults, threats, and worldwide debate.

Aliaa Magda Elmahdy, a mere 20 year old  Cairene student and activist, posted a nude photo of herself on her blog. The reason? She wasn’t trying to be a slut or flaunt herself, but she was definitely trying to garner attention: Aliaa was protesting freedom of speech and, I would say, people’s extreme views on sex in the Middle East. She is quoted as writing:

‘Hide all art books and smash naked archaeological statues. ’Then take off your clothes and look at yourselves in the mirror, then burn your body that you so despise to get rid of your sexual complexes forever, before subjecting me to your bigoted insults or denying my freedom of expression.’

Words cannot describe how happy I was when I heard about this girl. My father had seen an article about her on AOL news. His response? “Well, Egyptian girls are rather attractive, aren’t they?” How radically different was his take on the photo from the many Muslims (mostly male, but there were women too) who poured hate onto her blog as well as her Facebook page, which I promptly added. The diatribes and hate people wrote were  sickening and disheartening. This girl is not a slut; she is not a whore. She is not a “crazy little bitch.” She took a picture of her body.

The profile photo for Aliaa Magda Elmahdy's facebook group "Aliaa Magda Elmahdy."

The human body is just that: the human body. Her comment as quoted above about people hating their own bodies is absolutely right: some people (particularly in the Middle East) are so hung up on sex that they have debased the human body. We all have a body, and who cares, quite frankly, if men’s bodies are slightly different from a woman’s body?

There is a tiny part of me that wishes that she had not taken the photo, and it is the part of me that sadly acknowledges the realities of life in Cairo, Egypt and that, as the Daily Mail article I read suggested, she may have done more harm than good. She took a radical step, and I’m not quite sure if Egypt was ready for such a bold move. Unfortunately, stripping down for this photo might have just reinforced people’s ideas that women are sluts and must be covered, otherwise they will go all out and bare all.

It’s unfair that, even in protesting, one should be prudent in taking care as to how one demonstrates. But the Daily Mail also pointed out another potential problem that could result from Aliaa’s statement: that her radical liberal approach might turn even lightly conservative people away from the liberal parties campaigning for office in Egypt. Egypt needs to maintain a “liberal,” open-minded and secular government. It will be such a shame if they replace Mubarak with extreme fundamentals who will certainly deny freedom of speech to a possibly even greater extent.

Despite the problems that her photo might cause for both her cause and for her personally (in my mind I see her cooped up in her flat, unable to leave for her own safety) I still think that, looking at the bigger picture, it needed to be done. She got not only Egypt’s attention, but the worlds!  She made her point clear: that one statement should not define a person, nor should one “statement” be enough to condemn her/him.

If I had to name my heros, Aliaa Magda Elmahdy, a girl who I have never met and whose name I had never heard until today, would be featured on that list. To risk your life, social standing and possibly freedom to defend freedom is something worth honoring. The woman should be respected, not condemned.

S-L-M

Links:

1. Aliaa Magda Elmahdy: Foolish act of bravery? Egyptian activist risks her life after posting full frontal nude shot online sparking outrage among Muslims” by Maysa Rawi, The DailyMail  UK, 18 November 2011.
   http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2063201/Aliaa-Magda-Elmahdy-blog-Egyptian-activist-posts-nude-photo-online-sparking-outrage.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

An Eternal Mansion, Veiled Women and a Submissive Moon: The Koran

A mosque in Cairo; at night, it was beautifully lit up! Taken by myself

Beauty can be found even in the most unpleasant or unassuming of places. Even those things that are horrid, or evil, or disturbing, can contain a strange and austere beauty.

While I certainly wouldn’t describe the Koran as evil or horrid, I am sometimes distraught by some of it’s passages, although I recognize that everything on this Earth has a ying and yang to it. Once again, I have found passages in the book that are discomforting. But overall, I admit that the Koran is beautiful. There is a lot of wisdom in this book, and some of the passages are so poetic, that I wonder what it must be like to read the book in it’s original Arabic.

Among some of the beauty that I have found were the following quotes (might I add that I am particularly fond of the many mentions of the moon, although I have yet come to a passage that explains why the moon is so important in Islam that they have placed it upon the tops of the mosque’s minarets).

“He has pressed the sun and the moon in to His service, each running for an appointed term.” (32:23)

“We offered Our trust to the heavens, to the Earth, and to the mountains, but they refused the burden and were afraid to receive it.” (33:72)

“”The night is another sign for men. From the night We lift the day–and they are plunged into darkness.   The sun hastens to its resting-place: it’s course is laid for it by the Might One, the All-Knowing. We have ordained phases for the moon, which daily wanes and in the end appars like a bent old twig. The sun is not allowed to overtake the moon, nor does the night outpace the day. Each in its own orbit swims.” (36:37)

“Where they shall be decked with bracelets of gold and pearls, and arrayed in robes of silk….Through his Grace he has admitted us to the Eternal Mansion, where we shall endure no toil, no weariness.” (35:28)

This quote is particularly moving for someone like me, who lives by the pen:

“If all the trees of the Earth were pens, and the sea replenished by seven more seas, were ink, the words of God could not be finished still. Mighty is God, and wise.” (31:23)

However, like all beautiful things, there is an ugly side to the Koran, such as the fact that homosexuality is frowned upon in Islam:

“Will you fornicate with males and eschew the wives whom god has created for you? Surely you are great transgressors.” (26:166)

I have heard that homosexuality is not tolerated in Islam, and this seems to prove where the feeling comes from, although it does not state why homosexuality should be a transgression. It also seems to point out that women were created solely for the pleasure and needs of men. There was a lot of talk about women in the surahs I read this time, such as this phrase concerning the angels:

“Would He choose daughters rather than sons? What has come over you that you judge so ill?” (37:149)

This question almost made me laugh, to be quite honest. Are people that crazy to want daughters? Did anybody say that angels were only women? After all, there are many male angels: Gabriel, the angel who spoke to the Prophet himself, was a male! The continued distaste for women continued in many more passages:

“Enjoin believing men to turn their eyes away from temptation and to restrain their carnal knowledge…..Enjoin believing women to turn their eyes away from temptation and to preserve their chastity; not display their adornments (except such as are naturally revieled) to draw their veils over their bosoms and not to displau their finery except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands fathers….and children who have no carnal knowlrdge of women.” (24:30)

It seems as though one could equate sex with the devil, if the Koran (and the Bible too) are any indication. Is sex the most feared thing in Islam? Sometimes I believe it to be true; if so, then women are a close second. Women seem to be the source of sex and sin, just as Eve became a symbolism of sinning in the Bible. It is not man who is told to veil himself, to hide in his house and be chaste, it is woman. Yet, at the same time, I feel that this points out that perhaps women are not the source of sin, but men. It is man who cannot be trusted; man who has a dirty, carnal mind, man who sees in woman her beauty and the source of his desire and cannot control himself.

It appears that today’s fanatical Muslim man (and even the non-fanatics at times) seem to take the Koran’s words literally. Certainly the Taliban when it took power in Afghanistan took the following passage as meaning it to apply to all women, not just the prophet’s wives, as they believed that women should not be seen or heard:

“Wives of the Prophet, you are not like other women. If you fear God, do not be too complaisant in your speech, lest the lecherous hearted should lust after you. Show discretion in what you say. Stay in your homes and do not display your finery as women used to do in the days of ignorance. Attend to your prayers,give alms and obey God and his Apostle. Women of the household, God seeks only to remove uncleanness from you and to purify you.”(32:29)

Woman bear the brunt. Women, despite what the Koran says, do have to bear another’s burden. They bear man’s.

S-L-M

The Heirs of Hell vs. the Patronizers of Paradise: The Koran

“You shall find no believers in God and in the last day on friendly terms with those who oppose god and his apostle.” (58:22)

And so The Koran continues to pit the believers against the non- believers, the patronizers who will call Paradise home versus the heirs of hell. The constant warnings and “threats” become quite redunant, as do the comparaisons. Can the faithful really not be friends with non-believers? In modern interpretation, would a Muslim not be friends with a Hindu for this very reason? Agree to disagree–but do not forsake a friendship that would not corrupt! As I read the Koran, I ask myself: why does the Koran spend so much time addressing the non-believers? It is already established that they will meet a fiery end; did they even listen to Mohammad’s messages? Do they even now read the Koran, if only in interest?

Houris in Paradise (riding the camels), taken from zombietime.com (odd name, but some great images of Islamic art)

“Know that the life of this world is but a sport and diversion, a show and an empty boast among you, a quest for greater riches and more children.” (57:20)

Besides the constant talk of the fate of mankind, the Koran also continued to discuss Paradise (which I always enjoy reading about). Obviously ,if one is told that life on Earth is nothing but a “show and an empty boast,” one would then place a lot of value on Paradise! (Although I suspect the other reason for that might have been that life in general wasn’t too pleasant circa 600 A.D.) Even if one were promised Paradise, why can’t one have a little fun on Earth? After all, why are we here on Earth? Is our time merely a way for God to judge each soul? Maybe so, but I don’t think having children or some money is bad nor would it distract even the loosely pious away from God and his path.

Although riches might be viewed as sinful and boastful on Earth, they are definitely not denied in Paradise. There is more fanciful description of the pleasures that await believers, “that which is coming:” jewelled couches with rich brocade, gold cups filled with purest wine (“that will neither pain their heads nor take away their wisdom,” yes!!), flesh of fowls, palm trees and pomegranates, and best of all, “virgins of rubies and pearl,” the dark-eyed houris sitting in their tents. (56:6 and 55:52)

Does man still pray in paradise? Does he still exalt God, and behave righteously? For surely man is much more lazier in Paradise. Is it a sin for him to have his children? Or to spend all day relishing good drink and good feast, which is only a reach away? And the houris, who are known for their beautiful eyes: does their name at all relate to the eye of horus, a pagan symbol of the Ancient Egyptians? Do these houris have a male counterpart for the female patronizers of Paradise? Surely women deserve virgin companions as well.

“Yet they assign to him offspring from among his servants. Surely man is monstrously ungrateful. Would god choose daughters for himself and sons for you alone? Yet when the birth of a girl is announced to any of them his countenance darkens and he is filled with gloom. would they ascribe to god females who adorn themselves with trinkets and are powerless in disputation?” (43:11)

“He gives daughters to whom he will and sons to whom he pleases. To some he gives both sons and daughters, and he makes  sterile whom he will.” (42:49)

I found these two statements to be highly telling, if one applies them to today’s moral practices. Female children are treated with disdain throughout the Middle East; doctors don’t let mothers know the sex of their babies after their ultra sounds so that they are not disappointed, for the arrival of a daughter is met with sad faces, and can prompt the dissipation of a marriage. If the Koran itself is knocking daughters, by basically saying “How dare one attribute daughters only to God, and mankind gets sons!” and in the process adding that women are “drawn to trivial, silly matters and unable to argue” then of course the true believers of the Holy Koran are going to think that there is something wrong with having a daughter. I think that second verse (“He gives daughters…”) is an interesting play on words: God gives daughters to those whom “he wills” and gives sons to whom “he pleases” or likes.

“Believers, avoid immoderate suspicion, for in some cases suspicion is a crime.” (49:10)

Despite the talk of Paradise, Hell and woeful redundancy, there were also many wonderful and intelligent verses about mankind. The one above caught my eye as it reminded me several times of cases against Muslim women that I have read about, where women were unjustly accused of a sin and then severely punished for it. While I might not believe that suspicion is a crime (except for in instances where gross punishment is inflicted) I would say that it has caused many a problem, especially in many a relatonship, when it is often uncalled for. Wouldn’t the world be a more peaceful place if people learned to trust?

The other verse that stood out to me, which made me smile upon reading it and exclaim, “Salam!” was the one below. It is the best verse that I have read in the Koran so far. It refers to people of different religions, and although the first verse that I mentioned seemed to deny friendship, there will be no denying peace when peace is due in Islam:

“We have our own works and you have yours; let there be no argument between us. God will bring us all together, for to him we shall return.” (42:15)

S-L-M

 

Sad	The Throngs (Al Zumar)	The Forgiving One (Chafir)	The Believer (Al Mu’min)(/td> Revelations Well Expounded (Fussilat)
Counsel (Al shura)	Ornaments of Gold (Al Zukhruf)	Smoke (Al dukhan)	Kneeling (Al jathiyah)	The Sand dunes (Al ahqaf)
Muhammed	Victory (Al-fath))	The Chambers (Al Hujurat)	Qaf	The Winds (Al-dhariyat)
The Mountains (AL-Tur)	Te Star (Al Najm)	The Moon (Al-Qamar)	The Merciful (Al-Rahman)	That Which is Coming (Al-Waqi’ah)
Iron (al-Hadid)	She Who Pleaded (Al-Mujadilah)