About
Citizen Voices is a blog about election politics, written by people like you. Six San Diegans give their personal take on the issues, candidates and propositions.
» Listen to their interviews on These Days
Categories
Recent Topics
Where the Iraqi Women At?
Strangely enough, the most pressing political question of the current
presidential campaign was first struck upon by Mel Brooks more than thirty
years ago: Where the white women at?
The Democratic primary and now the general election have brought a new found concern (for some) and focus upon women's rights. But like most things in this election, there is little room for intelligent discussion of the issue. What exactly is the status of the glass ceiling? Is it a question of American politics or American culture or both that has thus far prevented the rise of an American Angela Merkel, Margaret Thatcher or Benazir Bhutto? All three rose to heads of state as leaders of their individual parties. Perhaps parliamentary lawmakers are more likely to recognize substance than is the general electorate of our country. There is no shortage of impressive female U.S. representatives, senators and governors in our country, but thus far none deemed worthy to take hold the reigns of our country - or even ride shotgun.
Does our country view women's rights as a universal issue or a special interest? The ascendency of Obama over Hillary follows a historical pattern established in the 1960s. The Civil Rights Movement and Civil Rights Act both trumped and inspired the women's rights movement. The Civil Rights Act passed, the Equal Rights Act stalled. The nomination of Sarah Palin also follows a historical pattern of empty, token gestures toward equality of the sexes.
It would be refreshing to hear how McCain and Obama plan on implementing their views on women's rights in perhaps the most high profile, high stakes arena where our country is currently involved: Iraq.
Never mind for a moment the criminal deception and blundering at the inception of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Today, the prospect for peace and freedom in Iraq relies most heavily on a power sharing agreement between the Sunnis, Shias and Kurds. All three groups must be respected and represented and negotiated with or blood will continue to spill. But what about the fourth group we seem to hear so little about? That group of humans that represent 49 percent of the Iraqi population. That group who cannot travel without the consent of a father or husband or brother or uncle? That group which faces beheading if they drive to work or even go to work? That group which cannot marry freely or study freely? The United States is committed to the rights of Kurds, Sunnis and Shias - what level of commitment and enforcement are Obama and McCain willing to pledge to the forgotten, oppressed half of Iraq?
The typical rejoinder to this question is that it represents the height of Western arrogance for the United States to make demands that trample cultural traditions. But is seems that women always fall on the losing side of the cultural and moral dividing line. It is a moral abomination to subjugate torture, oppress and kill Kurds - but the same done to Iraqi women is a hands-off affair.
Few will defend the Sudanese practice of female genital mutilation as a cultural right (even as it is practiced on women by women). Is this where the line to women's rights begin? Perhaps if women resorted to planting IEDs and suicide bombings to support their cause they would meet with greater results in Iraq. (What, incidentally, do female suicide bombers get as their reward in paradise? Twelve virgin men? Is even Paradise a place made for man?)
The current Iraqi constitution guarantees equal rights to all Iraqi citizens regardless of sex. But in practice this is not the case because of this same constitution's principle reliance on Sharia, the Islamic code of law. The timeline of women's rights in the United States is long and still developing. I am not so naïve to think that Iraq should be transformed over night - but the progression of women's rights in Iraq deserves at least as much attention as oil sharing revenues between Kurds, Shias and Sunnis.
Like most things in Iraq, lasting change will have to come from within. But as invaders and now occupiers we have a moral duty to at least facilitate positive change. The United States has plenty of women, white and otherwise, making our country and the world a better place. Iraq deserves to have a few of their own and we are in a position to help. Will McCain or Obama do it?
I now leave you with my current favorite strong, smart, defiant, beautiful white woman (sorry Mom).
-
6 Comments |
Email this |
-
-
-
|
- Permalink:
Comments
A thought-provoking subject, to be sure - who can forget the State of the Union speech in which Bush pointed to an Iraqi woman with a purple finger, a woman who had just voted in her first democratic election? Unfortunately, though, as you point out, this is not necessarily the norm and she was a bit of a showpiece (although strides have been made, particularly in urban areas). Throughout the Muslim world, there are what we in the West would often view as contradictions - women who feel liberated by wearing the hijab, for example (because it allows them to leave the house). Hijab (covering) = liberation? We don’t get that. In terms of what female Muslim suicide bombers get in heaven - well, I think a lot of Muslim women must struggle with that and similar issues as well. Feminist Islam is an incredibly interesting subject, and if you are so inclined, there are several books out there by Muslim, female authors (I would recommend reading the ones by Muslims still closely connected to countries of origin in the Middle East, North Africa, or South Asia rather than second- or third- generation Muslim Americans, simply because it’s more informative to read a perspective that has minimal Western justification/influence).
Like you say, change will have to come from within. That was my view of our decision to go to war in Iraq - it was deeply flawed (surprise!) and although a good thing may have come out of it (the toppling of an authoritarian regime), it’s a shame that the Iraqis didn’t do it themselves - the result would be a more legitimate, domestic political system. We can encourage democracy, but Muslim democracy may look different than Western democracy. As for shari’a, it’s a scary concept that I believe too often ignores human rights, and regardless of what kind of democracy (or any political ideology, for that matter) the Iraqis would like to embrace, it should be a political system that upholds international standards of human rights. This is something our dear friend Saudi Arabia needs to be held to as well; our foreign policy in the Middle East frustrates me because we seem to turn a blind eye to the transgressions of our friends while condemning our enemies. I am most interested in the case of Iran, but I will save that for another day. But while Bush holds hands with Saudi royalty, the Wahhabi regime is busy funding and building Wahhabi, fundamentalist schools in Pakistan. We’ll make no progress if we ignore these sorts of activities. (I highly recommend the book Three Cups of Tea, a bestseller - and true story - about an American who builds schools for girls in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and deals with opposition from religious authorities who issue fatwas against his work.)
An Al-Jazeera reporter visited my “Islam and the Constitution” journalism class once in college. He refused to look me in the eye while I was asking him a question (about HIV/AIDS in Saudi Arabia and why Al-Jazeera never reported things like that), and I can tell you, it was the most frustrating experience to me. To someone else in my class, she thought it quite respectful of him. (Incidentally, the reporter answered my question by saying that there are no cases of HIV/AIDS in Saudi Arabia.)
Jessica,
Thanks for the thoughtful comments and book tips. Saudi Arabia is certainly the elephant in the room in speaking of the War on Terror, the cultural/religious wars, women’s rights, oil....I recently tutored a Saudi woman preparing for the GMAT - she was part of that fraction of women (token concessions to Western pleas) allowed into male workplaces (but still not allowed to drive). I can’t quote her - but the impression I got was that her life was made impossible in the workplace in a manner that would have been shocking in 1950s America.
Returning the book tip - the Algerian French novelist Assia Djebar writes intricate novels about the interior lives of traditional muslim women living within modern cities - Women of Algiers in Their Apartments and Sister to Scheherazade are both worth reading…
Chris
Chris,
Thanks for a moment of Cleavon Little. I was fortunate to work with him; not only was he hilarious, he was such a kind man. I think he would have enjoyed his part in your blog.
Candace
Cut Chemist at The Silent Movie Theatre this week. DJ’ing in between rare old rap videos from the 80’s. No Iraqi women there. Strictly b-boys and b-girls. Let’s go!
Arrange tix and im there....
and cleavon’s been making me smile since I knew what was funny.