The movie we watched in class i thought was a good one. I'm amazed by what the norm is for some people, I think its overwhelming.
The movie shed light on two friends who ended up leading very different lives- with every different out comes. The movie did a good job of showing how women deal with different situations, from family to school to having children.
Family is shown in an interesting light, the Father was not on her side, I think he was sour from what had happened to her cousin still, and wanted the best for her and like made her marry that guy- but in the end when she was truly unhappy...he came around to help her and love her. Which brings to another interesting point, the divorce. I thought it was crazy how her reasons were not good enough or not just enough to get a divorce.
The speaker just joined the class-
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
SPeaker Today
Hello Class and WWWorld!
Today I am going to BLOG about the speaker and the books she brought in...even though I came in late today due to personal matters, I very happy I caught the lecture (and more than half the class), the women was inslightful and warm, you could tell that her and her daughter put a lot of time making the slide and even bringing in books to share with the class. The books she passed through I thought were very interesting, I took some extra time looking at the first one that was passed around. It was used as a learning tool for people to get to know about the history, culture and just in general interesting facts. I found myself reading about the black stone of mecca a huge black dimanond or crystal it was said to be found by Abraham (Ibrahim) heres a link I thought it was really interesting so of course I did some outside reasearch....http://www.crystalinks.com/blackstone.html
Great books great speaker.
Today I am going to BLOG about the speaker and the books she brought in...even though I came in late today due to personal matters, I very happy I caught the lecture (and more than half the class), the women was inslightful and warm, you could tell that her and her daughter put a lot of time making the slide and even bringing in books to share with the class. The books she passed through I thought were very interesting, I took some extra time looking at the first one that was passed around. It was used as a learning tool for people to get to know about the history, culture and just in general interesting facts. I found myself reading about the black stone of mecca a huge black dimanond or crystal it was said to be found by Abraham (Ibrahim) heres a link I thought it was really interesting so of course I did some outside reasearch....http://www.crystalinks.com/blackstone.html
Great books great speaker.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Professor Mirzeler
Today in class i was truly moved, I haven no idea why the honor killing topic is hitting me so hard. The more I'm learning about it the more I'm trying to understand it rather than dissect it- breaking it down, instead of trying to find a way to have it make sense with my own personal norms; I'm telling it to others' getting different views and takes, learning more about organizations in hopes of making a change.
Today in class I found myself crying, because I was sad. I was sad for the people and the thought of never wanting to go back to a loved place because it would "spoil the memory" of what it once was. I was sad that Professor Mirzeler doesn't even know how old he is, i'm sad he was asked to kill his own sister.
I've been thinking about this all day. The questions, the heart-break i feel- the sadness, is because i found myself having compassion not just lookin at this as research. Reading real stories meeting real people dealing with the face of the issue rather than the issue itself.
I'm trying to look at it from all sides. (while also tryin to image myself in the role)
Professor Mirzeler told us about his Father, and the fact that he understood and could clearly see the turmoil and social pressure his father was under. When describing him sitting under the tree weeping and after seeing all the beautiful landscape I could just picture him there crying about the choice in front of him. Not only that Professor Mirzeler was letting the class know the flip side what his mother and sisters were doing: everything in their power to help save their loved one, who soon could turn into a victim of an honor killing.
They spent time looking for someone for her to marry in order to save her life and that thought it self.."they spent time looking for someone for her to marry in order to save her life" it brings to mind the importance of marriage and if it is looked at as, "marry ANYONE just to have honor" "If your not a virgin, your not fit to marry" "If your divorced your a broken women, lucky if any MAN wants you" than i think i myself would love out of wedlock in order to truly love the person i was in love with. I would rebell for true love.
I think in a country that is built on pride and honor i myself would risk everything for what i beleieved in, what the hell have i been taught? What has history been showing us? Not to be scared but to fillful something with deep meaning 100 percent heart and soul.
Its to bad the extreme lenght everything has been taken too. With everything being so westernized, trying to keep the honor in line, and under control is harder and must been seen in greater force therefore harsher killings; over such minor issues as viewed in the eyes of myself.
Before, there was no "other" way only the way that was lived and shared amongst the people in the villages, there was order and respect within a place that had no real founding. Made up of mostly nomads, located in the valleys of mountains, travelers were not know because the people couldn't travel all they had we their families and their villages.
If i did grow up in this social role, and these learned behaviors and this was all i knew and lived by regradless how wrong they are, there is the choice to "dishonor" and know what punishments will most likely happen to you or rebell, and take the fate given.
Professor Mirzeler spoke about the changes of the people and the land itself. i thought it was so- moving, and here in America we have never had to deal with something on such a wide range scale,If you dis-honor your family your family will kill you, if you dont die they will kill and rape other members of your family, because you and your family are now an open field with nothing left because all your had in the first place was honor and pride.
The people of Turkey continute to hold on to their traditions, culture, life lessons, etc to at least have a grasp on something in the fast paced world of today.
Today in class I found myself crying, because I was sad. I was sad for the people and the thought of never wanting to go back to a loved place because it would "spoil the memory" of what it once was. I was sad that Professor Mirzeler doesn't even know how old he is, i'm sad he was asked to kill his own sister.
I've been thinking about this all day. The questions, the heart-break i feel- the sadness, is because i found myself having compassion not just lookin at this as research. Reading real stories meeting real people dealing with the face of the issue rather than the issue itself.
I'm trying to look at it from all sides. (while also tryin to image myself in the role)
Professor Mirzeler told us about his Father, and the fact that he understood and could clearly see the turmoil and social pressure his father was under. When describing him sitting under the tree weeping and after seeing all the beautiful landscape I could just picture him there crying about the choice in front of him. Not only that Professor Mirzeler was letting the class know the flip side what his mother and sisters were doing: everything in their power to help save their loved one, who soon could turn into a victim of an honor killing.
They spent time looking for someone for her to marry in order to save her life and that thought it self.."they spent time looking for someone for her to marry in order to save her life" it brings to mind the importance of marriage and if it is looked at as, "marry ANYONE just to have honor" "If your not a virgin, your not fit to marry" "If your divorced your a broken women, lucky if any MAN wants you" than i think i myself would love out of wedlock in order to truly love the person i was in love with. I would rebell for true love.
I think in a country that is built on pride and honor i myself would risk everything for what i beleieved in, what the hell have i been taught? What has history been showing us? Not to be scared but to fillful something with deep meaning 100 percent heart and soul.
Its to bad the extreme lenght everything has been taken too. With everything being so westernized, trying to keep the honor in line, and under control is harder and must been seen in greater force therefore harsher killings; over such minor issues as viewed in the eyes of myself.
Before, there was no "other" way only the way that was lived and shared amongst the people in the villages, there was order and respect within a place that had no real founding. Made up of mostly nomads, located in the valleys of mountains, travelers were not know because the people couldn't travel all they had we their families and their villages.
If i did grow up in this social role, and these learned behaviors and this was all i knew and lived by regradless how wrong they are, there is the choice to "dishonor" and know what punishments will most likely happen to you or rebell, and take the fate given.
Professor Mirzeler spoke about the changes of the people and the land itself. i thought it was so- moving, and here in America we have never had to deal with something on such a wide range scale,If you dis-honor your family your family will kill you, if you dont die they will kill and rape other members of your family, because you and your family are now an open field with nothing left because all your had in the first place was honor and pride.
The people of Turkey continute to hold on to their traditions, culture, life lessons, etc to at least have a grasp on something in the fast paced world of today.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Paradise Now.
I'm really enjoying Paradise Now, what a great flim? So far...I like how the family interacts with each other, everyone is so close. Its almost funny how everyone knows the same puzzle just different pieces of it. The Mother seems to be wise and knows something is not right within her son. As blogging as i'm watching and i know the "mission" is going to get to him in some way or another where he is not going to able to go through with it....i'm excited to see how the women traveler he met will effect this mission and his life.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
TURKEY
Yay!! I'm so excited for my group to take its turn in teaching the class, we have found some wonderful books, short stories and movie clips. So I thought I would blog about Human Rights in Turkey first as an eye opener.
Human rights are protected by treaties, its of high importance to the EU which is the European Union.
Human rights are protected by treaties, its of high importance to the EU which is the European Union.
- For women in Turkey they do have the right to freely exercise Abortions in the first ten weeks, which is paid for by Social Security..
- 1926 woman were given the right to initate and obtain a divorce, I mention this because of Honor Killings that take place everyday to women in Turkey. Which is the main thing I am forcing on in my contribute to our group. I have found a video we will be showing in class on Thursday if you would like to view it before hand its on my blog as well. But lets talk about main issues of why honor killings happen shall we???
- Dress Code
- wanting out an arranged marriage
- sexual acts
- behavior that dishonors their clan or family
Victims estimated from the United Nations Population Fund have an annual world wide total as being as high as 5,000 which is an outrage.
I'm excited to talk more about this topic and want the class to be excited as well.
Oh side note if anyone is found guity of so called honor killings it is life in prison.
Outside Research-
I was not comfortable in class the other day, talking about The Lawsuit. I didn't want to make assumptions...I understand that we were dissecting the literature at hand but, I dont feel that without some sort of understanding of divorce in general for Arab wives, that I wasn't meeting the story to its full potential, or even adding stereotypes to the story because of what was not known. So, I looked into it.
I found a site for the World Muslim Congress title being Divorce:: Arab wives. Turns out the divorce rate is very high for the women in India, Hundu and or Muslim they receive harsh treating and pity. According to the article the Divorce rate is raising because of the chance in womens status. The link is right here...if you would like to read more. Its very interesting. http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2007/03/divorce-arab-wives.html
I also understand that the man died in our story to I looked that up as well. And Damn was this shocking. Turns out because of history and wars occuring in Middle Easten counties the women are forced to fend for themselves, even if it means to SELL ONE OF THEIR OWN CHILDERN, beg in the street etc. http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2009/10_october/06/arabic.shtml
I wanted to know about how the women deal if they are widowed or whatnot before I could talk about the story.
I found a site for the World Muslim Congress title being Divorce:: Arab wives. Turns out the divorce rate is very high for the women in India, Hundu and or Muslim they receive harsh treating and pity. According to the article the Divorce rate is raising because of the chance in womens status. The link is right here...if you would like to read more. Its very interesting. http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2007/03/divorce-arab-wives.html
I also understand that the man died in our story to I looked that up as well. And Damn was this shocking. Turns out because of history and wars occuring in Middle Easten counties the women are forced to fend for themselves, even if it means to SELL ONE OF THEIR OWN CHILDERN, beg in the street etc. http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2009/10_october/06/arabic.shtml
I wanted to know about how the women deal if they are widowed or whatnot before I could talk about the story.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
The Speaker
- Class last time, I thought was the most helpful in our journey to learn more about the Middle East. I wanted to rape his mind with the knowledge that he embodies. I learned more about life, growing up, woman in Egypt and Egyptian culture than ever before. I thought it was so interesting the way of everyday life in Egypt, also very sad; I left class with almost an empty feeling, the people that live there go through... I dont want to say more struggles than the average American just different struggles that no one should have to undergo. Struggles to get what is a right as a person. I think that stereotypes have been broken and mostly the stereotypes brought to class in the beginning were mostly 'oldworld' in a sense.
- I want to know more about what is happening today in Egypt and the rights people there WANT. Because, as we have learned in some villages it doesn't matter. I want to know more about now, rather then just a small scale we have been focusing on.
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