Research Essay on 'The Arab Spring': Half the Arabian Sky
“There are two powers in the world; one is the sword and the other is the pen. There is a great competition and rivalry between the two. There is a third power stronger than both, that of the women” ~ Muhammad Ali Jinnah (deceased Governor-General of Pakistan).
The recent push for democracy and poetic/political justice in Arab societies is now demonstrative of the unfortunately unequal representation of women in the sociocultural sphere. Marginalization of the “fairer sex” occurs everywhere in the world (even including the good-ol’ imperfect U.S.A.), but this reality has come to the forefront in world-windswept causes like that of the revolutionary Arab Spring. This term, defined by Oxford Dictionaries as “a series of anti-government uprisings in various countries in North Africa and the Middle East, beginning in Tunisia in December, 2010,” represents one of the several catalysts that has proven to be the sheer and outright despotism and corruption evident in Arab leadership, in various applicable countries, such as Egypt (Ajami 2012). As a result, Muslim women have been struggling to have their voices heard, as regions such as Egypt, itself, have increasingly become more conservative (Leyne 2011). Researchers claim that this political/cultural influence was triggered, in part, by the distressing economic status that so threatened the very fabric of Egypt’s stability--and was affected, also, by the rampant injustices perpetrated by one of Egypt’s recent leaders, named Hosni Mubarak, who was just removed from his post. At the protests that eventually led to this bittersweet result, Egyptian women stood on the front-lines, but, all the while, endured inconceivable atrocities, such as the demoralizing “virginity tests” performed by several men at a time. These were done, reporters say, so that men, including onlooking soldiers, could ensure that these women had already experienced sexual intercourse and would not receive attention upon potentially complaining that these men, in question, had sexually assaulted or raped them. These (egocentric) males have gone so far as to deny these examinations ever occurred. Regarding women’s afflictions in Arab countries, this is only the tip of the proverbial iceberg (or, in this case, sand dune).
In a not-so-distant part of the world from the one just discussed, in Tunisia, police continuously attempted to suppress uprisings against the wrongs perpetrated under the guise of progress and reform--and, in so doing, dared to allow security thugs to beat the participating women, whereby the police officers further victimized them and proceeded to commit the utter violation of rape (Flock 2011). Not only have these women been raped and otherwise attacked, some of them have also been detained, or have actually disappeared, their whereabouts unknown. Such horrors have been executed in regions such as Syria, as well. Journalist of the above-referred article, Elizabeth Flock, states the following, “Families in Syria have been known to kill raped female members, and if the women live, they are not eligible to marry. A group of men have decided to challenge that norm by pledging to marry women who have been victims of rape, including four sisters from Sumeriya, a town near the Turkish border, who were allegedly raped by pro-government Shabiha militiamen.” Without a doubt, despite small gestures of kindness (which are not forgotten), the forceful domination of women is not just a side-effect of the Arab Spring, but a climactic issue at the heart of the Earth-shaking and media-exposed stirrings.
Well-beloved poet and playwright, Suheir Hammad (of Palestinian descent), writes of heart-wrenching oppression and the inviolability of the human spirit, and proclaims this into stale, rhythmic air: “This heartbeat is louder than death. / Your war drum ain’t louder than this breath” (TED Talks: ‘Ideas Worth Spreading’). Her pure, reverberating voice speaks to the respective hearts, minds, and spirits of all women who yearn to break free of such restricting bonds, often inflicted by brutal men (and maybe even women who are too fearful to resist the coming tide like their brave sisters). Clare Boothe Luce, the first American woman appointed to a major ambassadorial post abroad, declared, “Because I am a woman, I must make unusual efforts to succeed. If I fail, no one will say, ‘She doesn't have what it takes’--they will say, ‘Women don't have what it takes.’” These women’s thoughts and ideologies echo the trials stemming from the inexplicable plight experienced by women and girls of Arab countries, during a revolt that should have recognized them as heroines for a democratic way of life.
However, these efforts have not been in vain. A piece from The New York Times states, “Men overwhelmingly dominate the Arab Spring countries, but women, enabled by advances in literacy and higher education, are increasingly asserting themselves. In Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Yemen and Syria, they have been on the front lines of revolution. These nations will not succeed unless women are fully incorporated into political and economic life” (Giacomo 2012). Furthermore, Muslim women and girls have been articulating their desire and motivation to serve their respective countries in well-respected positions, such as future president and/or minister of defense. Indeed, in spite of the persistent tragedies, hope and redemption are around the bend. Many observers would suggest that the female Arab population have been neglected and pushed to the wayside during their so-called “Spring”--but this reality only seems to fuel these individuals’ platform for imperative change and pivotal advancements toward egalitarianism. As a matter of fact, this task is at the focus of a global cause: that of fostering women and girls’ civil rights and liberties, in a world that frequently disregards and even harms half the world’s population, for simply being born female. Kristof and WuDunn’s 2009 book (and documentary), Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide, concludes, “In the nineteenth century, the central moral challenge was slavery. In the twentieth century, it was the battle against totalitarianism. We believe that in this century, the paramount moral challenge will be the struggle for gender equality around the world." It is essential that women be appreciated and honored for their perilous search for truth, harmony, and fairness. The world most assuredly depends on it. For, without them, the sky would fall.
Bibliography
Ajami, Fouad. (2012). The Arab Spring at one: a year of living dangerously. Foreign Affairs. Retrieved December 10, 2012, from http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/137053/fouad-ajami/the-arab-spring-at-one.
Chandler, Otis (quoting Jinnah). (2012). Muhammad Ali Jinnah. GoodReads. Retrieved December 10, 2012, from http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/792644.Muhammad_Ali_Jinnah.
Chandler, Otis (quoting Kristof and WuDunn). (2009). Half the sky: Turning oppression into opportunity for women worldwide. GoodReads. Retrieved December 11, 2012, from http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6260997-half-the-sky.
Flock, Elizabeth. (2011). Women in the Arab Spring: the other side of the story. The Washington Post. Retrieved December 10, 2012, from
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/blogpost/post/women-in-the-arab-%20spring-the-other-side-of-the-story/2011/06/21/AG32qVeH_blog.html.
Giacomo, Carol. (2012). Women fight to define the Arab Spring. The New York Times. Retrieved December 11, 2012, from
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/11/opinion/sunday/women-fight-to-define-the-arab-spring.html.
Hammad, Suheir. (2012). Speaker: Suheir Hammad: poet, playwright. TED Talks: 'Ideas Worth Spreading'. Retrieved December 11, 2012, from http://www.ted.com/speakers/suheir_hammad.html.
Kristof, N. D., & WuDunn, S. (2009). Half the sky: Turning oppression into opportunity for women worldwide. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. http://www.halftheskymovement.org/.
Leyne, Jon. (2011). Egypt’s defiant women fear being cast aside. BBC News. Retrieved December 10, 2012, from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-13796966.
Morris, S. J. (1997). Clare Boothe Luce biography. The Henry Luce Foundation, Inc. Retrieved December 11, 2012, from https://www.hluce.org/cblbio.aspx.
The recent push for democracy and poetic/political justice in Arab societies is now demonstrative of the unfortunately unequal representation of women in the sociocultural sphere. Marginalization of the “fairer sex” occurs everywhere in the world (even including the good-ol’ imperfect U.S.A.), but this reality has come to the forefront in world-windswept causes like that of the revolutionary Arab Spring. This term, defined by Oxford Dictionaries as “a series of anti-government uprisings in various countries in North Africa and the Middle East, beginning in Tunisia in December, 2010,” represents one of the several catalysts that has proven to be the sheer and outright despotism and corruption evident in Arab leadership, in various applicable countries, such as Egypt (Ajami 2012). As a result, Muslim women have been struggling to have their voices heard, as regions such as Egypt, itself, have increasingly become more conservative (Leyne 2011). Researchers claim that this political/cultural influence was triggered, in part, by the distressing economic status that so threatened the very fabric of Egypt’s stability--and was affected, also, by the rampant injustices perpetrated by one of Egypt’s recent leaders, named Hosni Mubarak, who was just removed from his post. At the protests that eventually led to this bittersweet result, Egyptian women stood on the front-lines, but, all the while, endured inconceivable atrocities, such as the demoralizing “virginity tests” performed by several men at a time. These were done, reporters say, so that men, including onlooking soldiers, could ensure that these women had already experienced sexual intercourse and would not receive attention upon potentially complaining that these men, in question, had sexually assaulted or raped them. These (egocentric) males have gone so far as to deny these examinations ever occurred. Regarding women’s afflictions in Arab countries, this is only the tip of the proverbial iceberg (or, in this case, sand dune).
In a not-so-distant part of the world from the one just discussed, in Tunisia, police continuously attempted to suppress uprisings against the wrongs perpetrated under the guise of progress and reform--and, in so doing, dared to allow security thugs to beat the participating women, whereby the police officers further victimized them and proceeded to commit the utter violation of rape (Flock 2011). Not only have these women been raped and otherwise attacked, some of them have also been detained, or have actually disappeared, their whereabouts unknown. Such horrors have been executed in regions such as Syria, as well. Journalist of the above-referred article, Elizabeth Flock, states the following, “Families in Syria have been known to kill raped female members, and if the women live, they are not eligible to marry. A group of men have decided to challenge that norm by pledging to marry women who have been victims of rape, including four sisters from Sumeriya, a town near the Turkish border, who were allegedly raped by pro-government Shabiha militiamen.” Without a doubt, despite small gestures of kindness (which are not forgotten), the forceful domination of women is not just a side-effect of the Arab Spring, but a climactic issue at the heart of the Earth-shaking and media-exposed stirrings.
Well-beloved poet and playwright, Suheir Hammad (of Palestinian descent), writes of heart-wrenching oppression and the inviolability of the human spirit, and proclaims this into stale, rhythmic air: “This heartbeat is louder than death. / Your war drum ain’t louder than this breath” (TED Talks: ‘Ideas Worth Spreading’). Her pure, reverberating voice speaks to the respective hearts, minds, and spirits of all women who yearn to break free of such restricting bonds, often inflicted by brutal men (and maybe even women who are too fearful to resist the coming tide like their brave sisters). Clare Boothe Luce, the first American woman appointed to a major ambassadorial post abroad, declared, “Because I am a woman, I must make unusual efforts to succeed. If I fail, no one will say, ‘She doesn't have what it takes’--they will say, ‘Women don't have what it takes.’” These women’s thoughts and ideologies echo the trials stemming from the inexplicable plight experienced by women and girls of Arab countries, during a revolt that should have recognized them as heroines for a democratic way of life.
However, these efforts have not been in vain. A piece from The New York Times states, “Men overwhelmingly dominate the Arab Spring countries, but women, enabled by advances in literacy and higher education, are increasingly asserting themselves. In Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Yemen and Syria, they have been on the front lines of revolution. These nations will not succeed unless women are fully incorporated into political and economic life” (Giacomo 2012). Furthermore, Muslim women and girls have been articulating their desire and motivation to serve their respective countries in well-respected positions, such as future president and/or minister of defense. Indeed, in spite of the persistent tragedies, hope and redemption are around the bend. Many observers would suggest that the female Arab population have been neglected and pushed to the wayside during their so-called “Spring”--but this reality only seems to fuel these individuals’ platform for imperative change and pivotal advancements toward egalitarianism. As a matter of fact, this task is at the focus of a global cause: that of fostering women and girls’ civil rights and liberties, in a world that frequently disregards and even harms half the world’s population, for simply being born female. Kristof and WuDunn’s 2009 book (and documentary), Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide, concludes, “In the nineteenth century, the central moral challenge was slavery. In the twentieth century, it was the battle against totalitarianism. We believe that in this century, the paramount moral challenge will be the struggle for gender equality around the world." It is essential that women be appreciated and honored for their perilous search for truth, harmony, and fairness. The world most assuredly depends on it. For, without them, the sky would fall.
Bibliography
Ajami, Fouad. (2012). The Arab Spring at one: a year of living dangerously. Foreign Affairs. Retrieved December 10, 2012, from http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/137053/fouad-ajami/the-arab-spring-at-one.
Chandler, Otis (quoting Jinnah). (2012). Muhammad Ali Jinnah. GoodReads. Retrieved December 10, 2012, from http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/792644.Muhammad_Ali_Jinnah.
Chandler, Otis (quoting Kristof and WuDunn). (2009). Half the sky: Turning oppression into opportunity for women worldwide. GoodReads. Retrieved December 11, 2012, from http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6260997-half-the-sky.
Flock, Elizabeth. (2011). Women in the Arab Spring: the other side of the story. The Washington Post. Retrieved December 10, 2012, from
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/blogpost/post/women-in-the-arab-%20spring-the-other-side-of-the-story/2011/06/21/AG32qVeH_blog.html.
Giacomo, Carol. (2012). Women fight to define the Arab Spring. The New York Times. Retrieved December 11, 2012, from
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/11/opinion/sunday/women-fight-to-define-the-arab-spring.html.
Hammad, Suheir. (2012). Speaker: Suheir Hammad: poet, playwright. TED Talks: 'Ideas Worth Spreading'. Retrieved December 11, 2012, from http://www.ted.com/speakers/suheir_hammad.html.
Kristof, N. D., & WuDunn, S. (2009). Half the sky: Turning oppression into opportunity for women worldwide. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. http://www.halftheskymovement.org/.
Leyne, Jon. (2011). Egypt’s defiant women fear being cast aside. BBC News. Retrieved December 10, 2012, from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-13796966.
Morris, S. J. (1997). Clare Boothe Luce biography. The Henry Luce Foundation, Inc. Retrieved December 11, 2012, from https://www.hluce.org/cblbio.aspx.
Now to Ponder: How are Women to be Treated According to The Holy Qur'an?
- With respect for the Allah-given ability to bear children to the Earth (Surah 4.1)
- With the need for the restoration of property and other acts, as per avoidance of “great sin” (Surah 4.2)
- With recognition that women of each man’s careful choice are suitable for marriage (multiple women, in fact, or just one—even a “captive that [a man’s] right hands possess, that will be more suitable, to prevent [a man] from doing injustice”) (Surah 4.3)
- With understanding that if women, upon marriage, offer any part of their dower (“widow’s inheritance,” according to the Encarta Dictionary), to a man, he is to “take it and enjoy it with right good cheer” (Surah 4.4)
- With speech of kindness and justice toward women, as they are fed, clothed, and supported (especially toward “those weak of understanding”) (Surah 4.5)
- With share given to women for certain forms of property (especially when pertaining to that of potentially deceased or unapparent parents of orphan children), which may not be equal to the share afforded men (Surah 4.7)
- With special consideration and apportionment regarding inheritances (Surah 4.11)
- With special consideration and apportionment regarding that property which the wife may leave, and whether she may have born a child (Surah 4.12)
- With inclusion of the body of women into a potential category of disobedience, after which they “will be admitted to a Fire, to abide therein: and they shall have a humiliating punishment” (Surah 4.14)
- With lewd women’s confinement “to houses until death do claim them, or Allah ordain for them some (other) way”—upon witnessing by four (reliable) persons (Surah 4.15)
- With Allah’s acceptance of repentance “of those who do evil in ignorance and repent soon afterwards” (Surah 4.17)
- With (believing) men’s forbidden inheritance of women against their will; with lack of harsh treatment unless the women have committed some form of evil; with kindness and equity (Surah 4.19)
- With the following recognition toward men: “But if ye decide to take one wife in place of another, even if ye had given the latter a whole treasure for dower, take not the least bit of it back: Would ye take it by slander and manifest wrong?” (Surah 4.20)
- With strict refrainment of marrying women whom a man’s father married (“except what is past: It was shameful and odious—an abominable custom indeed”) (Surah 4.22)
- With acknowledged prohibition from marrying the following: a man’s “mothers, daughters, sisters’; father’s sisters, mother’s sisters; brother’s daughters, sister’s daughters; foster-mothers (who gave [this man] suck); [a man’s] wives’ mothers; [a man’s] step-daughters under [his] guardianship, born of [his] wives to whom [this man] have gone in,--no prohibition if [he] had not gone in;--(those who have been) wives of [his] sons proceeding from [his] loins; and two sisters in wedlock at one and the same time, except for what is past; for Allah is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful . . .” (Surah 4.23)
- With acknowledged forbiddance from marrying women who are already married, “except those whom [a man’s] right hands possess” (Surah 4.24)
- With due comprehension that “men are the protectors and maintainers of women, because Allah has given the one more (strength) than the other, and because they support them from their means,” and expectations of the following from women (Surah 4.34): Devout obedience from the righteous; Guardianship of that which the man chooses to be guarded; Hatred of acts of disloyalty and ill-conduct
- Peace amongst family ties (Surah 4.35)
- The primary reason that women are treated as such is due to the fact that they are divine creations that stem directly from man and the Image of Allah, Himself; and, although it may seem they are sometimes considered to be or treated as property, they truly do have great purposes to fulfill at home, for their husbands and children, for their communit(ies), and for their own lives.
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