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Women Muslim leaders shake up old traditions in Europe


 

AP says

"Yassmine el Ksaihi doesn't see herself as a feminist rebel. She covers her head and wears modest clothing. She learned to read the Quran at age 5 and promotes traditional Muslim values.

Yet there is something pioneering about her nonetheless: At age 24 she is the administrator of a large mosque, an unusual position of authority for a young woman in the world of Islam, even in Europe."

Woman wearing a hijab (Muslim veil or headscarf) at the 2006 Arabic Arts Festival in Liverpool. (Image source: Wikimedia Commons)

A New York Times article published in 2005 on European Muslim women says that education and an open environment are providing a generation of Muslim women a new identity and strength in Europe.

"For many, the key difference is education, an option often denied their poor, immigrant mothers and grandmothers. These young women are studying law, medicine and anthropology, and now form a majority in many Islamic studies courses, traditionally the world of men. They are getting jobs in social work, business and media, and are more prone to use their new independence to divorce. Also,French, English, German or Dutch may be their native languages."

But some old traditions still haunt Europe's Muslim women. Abuse, forced marriage, and honor killings are still practiced by European Muslims. An MSNBC report on Muslim women in Germany says that many women are being abused by their families, trapped inside their homes, cut off from society, and pressured to live a life of extreme seclusion.

Long way to go before these women can live a truly free life.

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What’s cooking?


My wife and I took our dog, Mabel, to a dog park for the first time this morning. It was an odd experience. There were maybe 30 dogs running around in an area about the size of a baseball field. I’m not sure what was more interesting: watching the dogs or watching the people.

It was an interesting collection of people at the Lake of the isles dog park in Minneapolis this Easter morning, at least one of whom was already drunk at 10 a.m. I respect the determination and/or stamina it takes to be stagger-around drunk before noon, and this gentleman had the added benefit of a supply of odd, strangely interesting stories.

"My Ralphie," he introduced himself with, stumbling slightly as he approached and gestured vaguely at three or four nearby dogs. "My Ralphie ain’t fat. He’s sturdy. Like them Fleet Farm girls." He looked at us. "From the Sunday ads," he said, prompting us, waiting for a response. "Them Fleet Farm girls. They’re sturdy, just like my Ralphie. The vet said he could stand to lose some weight, but just told him he’s sturdy."

What’s going on with this guy? I couldn’t help but wonder. What’s his story? What’s cooking in his mind, or in his life that has brought him to this exact place at this exact time? And why have those events conspired to make our lives intersect? I guess you can ask those same questions about anybody, but I felt like this guy was a Harvey Pekar character or something, with a similar backstory.

In this month’s issue, we take a look at what’s cooking in a several different contexts. We start with the campus of the University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign, where Karoliina Engstrom tells about a recent strike in her piece Marching for more than money. Vivian Wong gives us a literal answer to the question in her article From petrol to tacos. In South America’s best-kept secret, Brendan van Son shares his experiences in Ecuador. Himalayan poet Yuyutsu R.D. Sharma shares three poems in ‘A threadbare foreword to the fleshy book of living and dying.’. Finally, Jacqueline Barba reviews Ted Conover’s latest book in her piece, titled The road as metaphor.

I never did find out much back story for the gentleman I met this morning. I learned he was married and the color of his wife’s hair when he said, "I married a redhead. You’re nothing but trouble. Happy Easter," to a startled middle-aged woman as she walked past. And got one more story.

"My neighbors come over the beginning of last summer. They’re both designers at some place downtown. They trying to get a permit from the city to build a chicken coop. Ask me if I care. They’re nice guys, so I tell them to have at it. They spent two grand building this chicken coop. Mahogany and brass. Nicer than what most people in Haiti have. They special order these special roosters, Rhode Island Reds, whatever, and take special care of them. I come home one day and they’re both out in the driveway, hugging each other and crying. So I go over and I ask them what’s wrong. ‘Raccoons!’ they say, and sure enough, I look in there and there’s nothing left but blood and feathers and a few bones. Them raccoons made short work of them special roosters," he said, and then laughed. "Felt bad for those two guys, though. Pretty shook up."

I bet they were.

I am a writer/editor turned web developer. I've served as both Editor-in-chief and Technical Developer of In The Fray Magazine over the past 5 years. I am gainfully employed, writing, editing and developing on the web for a small private college in Duluth, MN. I enjoy both silence and heavy metal, John Milton and Stephen King, sunrise and sunset. Like all of us, I contain multitudes.

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Anti-Obama madness now turning into domestic terrorism


 

Extremist groups are taking rightful grievances against the government and President Obama to a new level by threatening elected local officials. 

The Associated Press says

"The FBI is warning police across the country that an anti-government group's call to remove governors from office could provoke violence by others.

A group that calls itself the Guardians of the Free Republics wants to "restore America" by peacefully dismantling parts of the government, according to its Web site.

As of Wednesday, more than 30 governors had received letters saying if they don't leave office within three days they will be removed, according to an internal intelligence note by the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security…"

 

There were many who cautioned against the way anti-Obama sentiments were getting racially charged and turning violent, and this was just after he was elected. But then, their concerns were brushed aside. Now, the situation is truly scary.

This group, Guardians of the Free Republics, is an extremist fringe group. According to their website, it is clear that they see Obama's government and his election as "illegitimate" although do not explain why they believe so.

Homeland Security cautioned against the rising threat of domestic terrorism by lunatic groups like these last year. If you remember, the DHS Secretary was criticized for that report. Well, she was right. Sadly.

 

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Ladies, need a lift? Try a Pink Taxi


 

The private cab company, Pink Taxi, was backed by the Mexican government late last year in an attempt to help women feel safer taking cabs. And a lot of feedback has been positive. A 17-year-old student named Melissa Ayala said in an interview, "Mexico is going through a difficult time; insecurity is part of our lives. The fact that these taxis can be found outside nightclubs makes our parents more comfortable. It was the first time I sat back and relaxed in a cab." Twenty-one-year-old passenger Joss Roco agreed with the need for harassment-free transportation, stating, "It's uncomfortable to ride with a man who looks at you like a sex object just because you're wearing a skirt; I felt calm and confident being driven by a woman."

 

In addition to making women feel secure hopping in a cab, the service has helped empower spades of women drivers by opening employment opportunities and dispelling stereotypes in this machismo-driven culture that women can't drive or fix their vehicles. Rocio Nava, one of Pink Taxis' 60 drivers, said that her training included 180 hours of defensive driving, self-defense, and basic mechanics.

 

Still, for all the praise the women-only taxis have gotten, feedback isn't always all roses. For one thing, many are galled by the chosen color, vibrant pink, and state that the fact that each cab is equipped with GPS and a make-up kit does more to cement negative connotations of women rather that help them. 

 

Despite all this, women-only taxis only seem to becoming more popular, not less so. Puebla intends to expand its fleet to 300 cabs, and similar services have cropped up in locations as far away as Lebanon and Moscow. And women seem to be responding. Ayala said, "I was eager to use Pink Taxi not only because it's safer, but also as a way to support other women who are trying to improve their economic situation." 

 

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Overheard on the subway, part 5


Evening rush hour on the 2 train: A middle-aged woman dashes between the closing doors and trips over a seated man's foot.Woman: Sorry.

Man nods, doesn't say anything.

Woman, touching her forehead a little flustered: I'm sorry I ran into you.

Man: No worries.

Woman: I just saw my son on the platform. Out of the blue. Of all people…

Man, now with an unmistakable British accent: I ran into a mate of mine from Leeds on the L train.

Woman: Isn't that the strangest? It's like kismet or something.

Man: You think being in New York you can escape. You can't. It's like an alternate universe. It's the smallest city in the world.

Just then I take a sideways glance at the woman sitting next to me. We're both reading the same book (Three Cups of Tea — highly recommended) and we're reading the same page at the same time. You better believe this city is small.

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