Muslim Women Redefine Feminism

Much of the sexism in the middle east starts in religion. Many women and men are now trying to get the traditionalists to reread the Quran and and put in the context of the modern world to try and redefine women. They are not having it though. The traditionalists (both men and women) are sticking to their beliefs about the state of women, that they are not equal to men and don't deserve the same rights.
Hopefully, many men and women can start to reread the Quran with a different set of eyes and influence younger generations of women to fight for their right to be equal.

1000 Splendid Suns

The state of women's rights in Afghanistan in the 1970's was a horrible one. The book 1000 Splendid Suns takes place in this time and lapses over about 20-30 years in the midst of the Taliban takeover. The two women who the book focuses on are forced into an arranged marriage to the same man for different reasons when their teenagers. Rasheed is a very traditional man, he thinks women who go outside without a burqa are dishonorable and disgusting. He soon forces both of his wives to wait for him to get home before they go out anywhere so he can accompany them.
When the economic state of Afghanistan plummets and they are forced to send their daughter into an orphanage Rasheed would rather spend his time with his son and refuses to accompany Lila to the orphanage to see her daughter.
The book is a great example of how men can take advantage of women's disadvantages, and control them almost to the point of them being slave like. They can't do anything without the permission of their husbands or fathers. If they disobey, the men can handle it as they please. If domestic violence is commited, the police won't do anything about it because they believe that they women must have done something to deserve it.
How can we let this happen? How can we sit comfortably in our homes, knowing this is going on across the ocean and continue to let it happen?
Lets do something.
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NPR: Islamic Feminists

In an NPR interview, Isobel Coleman, author of Paradise Beneath Her Feet: How Women are Transforming the Middle East, was asked a question about how the Quran makes it difficult to fight for women's rights because some of the beliefs in it are incompatible with women's rights. To those that practice it, Islam is more then a religion  it's a lifestyle, it's a commitment  and many take it very seriously. And Ms. Coleman made a very compelling point related to the Christian bible, "that doesn't mean that you can't still look at the text and contextualize them. What many of the men and women today are trying to do within Islam is argue that times change, and you have to read them differently. You have to think about them in the present, not only in the past, and find new meanings and new ways to circle that square." although many middle eastern's can be labeled as 'traditionalists' there comes a time when you get with the times and change.
In today's society in America there are still many people who have yet to get with the times and re-contextualize the bible and open their mind even a tad. In that way, some civil rights issues in america can be related to whats happening to women in places like Afghanistan. 

The State of Women's Rights in the Middle East

Earlier in March the Muslim Brotherhood publicly affirmed its longstanding views on women for the first time since 2011, when they gained power under president Mohamed Morsi.
The United Nations proposed a declaration to to condemn violence against women, The Brotherhood responded by saying that they believe wives should not have the right to right to file legal complaints against their husbands for rape, and that daughters should not get the same inheritance rights as sons, and that the husband must have "guardianship" over his wife, recommending the "husband's consent in matters like travel, work or use of contraception".
There are many Conservative Egyptian women who agree with this. But it is adding to the struggle against traditionalist culture for activists. 
Women's rights still have a long way to go. 
(http://www.thetakeaway.org/2013/mar/18/state-womens-rights-middle-east/)

Project Topic: Women's Rights in the Middle East

Its a really tricky subject. As a women who lives in america and has more rights then what I know what to do with (not really) knowing there are women out there who are not allowed to work, who are not allowed to leave their house without a man, or who aren't even allowed to show their skin, drives me crazy. But, you also have to keep in mind that many of those women have lived this way for most of their lives and they're used to it. And they don't want things to change. While other generations want to fight back and want to change everything.
I'm excited to expand on both sides. Go from extreme to extreme.
FEMEN to those grandparents who won't talk to their grandchildren because they dont approve of their choices.

I'm excited.

Implicit Bias IAT Test

At this point I have taken this IAT test twice. And both times I got the same result: "Little to no automatic preference between African American and European American" and that's great! Nothing like a day booster that reinforces that you don't prefer one type of person to another.
So, what do I do with this information? It doesn't change anything in my daily life, it doesn't change how I see the world. In fact it enhances (used lightly) those things. With the type of anxiety I have and all I have been taught, often when walking down the street and seeing someone of a different race I think that they think that I'm racist when I stare. Or that I have something against them, but then when I look away and look at my feet or whats ahead I fear the same thing because now I'm scared they're thinking "Geez, she won't even look at me" and it's a cycle that ends with me usually pretending to text or check my voicemail. So, now I can tell myself "Please, you know that's not true" and hope that I'm listening.
In reference to the documentary I Sit Where I Want that we watched in class, I don't really think it changes my views on anything. I still don't like that big white kid because he couldn't/wouldn't show the tiniest of courtesy. I still don't have a strong liking for the African American girl because she was being the biggest hypocrite and going back on all she said. And I still don't understand why they were trying to integrate the lunch room (of all places).
People do sit where they want. And that's usually with their friends. You can't tell somebody that in the half hour they get off from school a day you're going to make them sit with people they don't know and feel uncomfortable. And yes, most people would sit with others of their race but that's probably because they grew up in the same area or their parents know each other or they just found comfort in it (which isn't bad). And I know that if I was in that lunch room, I would be annoyed with the people who were trying to move me. Lunch is the time that kids get to talk about whatever they want and get a relief from the school day, it's nothing about race.
If they wanted to make a notable difference, integrate the classrooms or buses, give students the time to make other friends before their forced into it.

James Holmes trial (and more about gun control)

For the last couple days James Holmes, the Aurora movie theatre shooter, has been in court. Some details have been exposed in this case that I, and I'm sure many others, had no idea of. It is said in the article on Yahoo News that "In the two months leading up to the Aurora, Colo., movie massacre, suspect James Holmes purchased four handguns and nearly 6,300 rounds of ammunition online and in person" This is a perfect example of why background checks should be mandatory. Also why one shouldn't be able to purchase past, lets say... 100 rounds (preferably less) in a certain amount of time. Like two months. It's amazing, even though American citizens think that it never happens, the US averages 20 mass shootings a year. Think of how much could be avoided if there was just a standard backup check put in place. That everyone had to follow and penalties would be enforced to anyone who thought otherwise. It's just ridiculous to me that things like this don't already exist and we're just now putting these things in place (hopefully, maybe). 

Enough With Me, The White House on Gun Control

The White House is deciding to broaden the gun control bans. Instead of just reinstating a ban on assault riffles, it's being discussed to take it much further. The law would include background checks and tracking of weapons and sales of weapons through a national database, also if you brought a gun near a school the penalties would be much higher, and giving a gun to a minor would have much greater penalties. President Obama has given the job of designing this strategy after Sandy Hook. Many are saying that this plan is too extreme and will never pass. The NRA has been successful with federal lawmakers and the ban on bans on guns since 1994 (when a ban on assault weapons was made, but expired in 2004).
Personally, I think this plan is headed in the right direction. it has the steps that should at least be thought over. Being fined when bringing a gun near a school I think is a great direction to be heading in. The laws are finely being looked over and refined the way they should've been years ago. I am very happy.

The Stem Cell Divide post #2

There is a lot of controversy surrounding Stem Cell research and the use of Stem Cells (well durr) But one that I haven't really even thought of has just become the biggest issue, for me, surrounding stem cells.
And that is the fact that those stem cells have the genes that were going to form a child, which means that it could carry a potentially active and harmful disease or mutation that could then become present in the person making use of the stem cells. Or could lie dormant for the rest of their lives.
The only way that we can really know what is inside the embryos is if we inspect and test each embryo. And that would take major amounts of time and money. And is that really worth it?
And I guess that's always the question- is it worth it? Unfortunetly, there are many times where you can have this really great discovery and it could help a lot of people, but half the population is against it and half the population is undecided. And on top of that, Americans aren't too keen on the idea of the government spending more money (especially when they're unsure of whether or not they actually like it) And everyone had to ask themselves- is it worth it?
I guess we'll have to see.

My argument against your argument against changing gun control

Some people have brought up (Not only in school but, also my dad) that even if you change gun control, people will find ways to get guns anyway. And to that I have to say: So we're not even supposed to try? We couldn't try to make it a little harder to get a gun that for the most part, you don'te even need unless your intending to kill or seriously injure someone? We can't try?
It's just really aggravating to me that there are some people who actually just think "what's the point?" that just doesn't seem fair.
What if we didn't make heroin illegal just because people would do it anyway? That doesn't make it any less dangerous. It doesn't make it any better. It's just legal. Legality doesn't count for everything.
Here are my basic points:
1) Just because people would try to get guns anyway doesn't mean that the government shouldn't try to make it harder.
2) Maybe the fact that its illegal will turn some people away from even trying to get one (extra jail time, any jail time at all)
3) I'm not saying all guns should be illegal, but the assualt riffles and machine guns... certainly uneeded.