Arabic media has been paying a lot of attention to the American presidential race.
Particularly to the democrats.
A big issue here is that a woman cannot lead a country. No one says this outright, of course.
They don't want people to think they're not modern.
It's more in the tones. The body language.
When I called a friend on it a few weeks ago, she admitted that she thought women were good at some things, men at other things (like leading a country.)
Typical nonsense from an unexpected source.
People never cease to surprise me.
"What about the president of Finland?" I asked.
She is a woman, after all. I can't say I know much about her presidency, but surely she is more of a successful leader than, say, all of the Arab leaders combined? Times 92384934728394721 squared?
Also, she famously resembles my main man, Conan O'Brien, making her all the more capable of successfully running a country.
Anyway.
It angers me how brainwashed our people are. It is 2008 and our educated 20 year olds do not think a woman can run a country.
Their argument is, if we are all truly equal, then why were we created differently? Why are there male and female human beings? Because we are suited to different roles.
Uhh.... No.
We were created looking differently because life is one. big. fucking. TEST.
It is a test to see who will use those differences as a way to divide everyone, and claim superiority (and inferiority, sisters. You contribute to this too.)
That is also why there are black people and white people and Asian people and brown people. Because this is a test to see who will choose to be racist and judge people on what they look like. Or what their genitalia looks like.
And it looks like many of my countrymen are failing this test miserably.
Thay fail to see the bigger picture; that we are more alike than we are different.
That being said, I have to say I'm on the Barack Obama bandwagon.
And you'd all best follow suit.
ubergirl
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If anyone uses the "created biologically unequal" argument with you, just say "Africans and Chinese are created unequal too, do you think they should have different rights?"
Conan did in fact "campaign" fairly actively for Tarja Halonen based on the similarities. he was later granted a visit with her at her office in Helsinki.
Men and woman; different physically, yes. Both gender mentally capable to take on top political or clerical leadership; yes. Significant female political leaders around; Indira Ghandi, Golda Meir (you may not like her but she kicked ass), Margaret Thatcher (she had more balls than Reagan), Gro Harlem Brundtland (Norway and WHO), current Presidents of Chile and Argentina, Vigdis Finnbogadottir (Island), Benazir Bhutto, Corazon Aquino, etc . more here; http://womenshistory.about.com/od/rulers20th/a/women_heads.htm
So yes, women are more than capable to be leaders at all levels. What an ass backward country you live in!!! seriously, you need to get out and get out soon to live your life to the fullest.
would recommend you to read Hitchen's "God is not great", "The portable Atheist", Dawkins' "The God delusion", Harris' "Letter to a Christian nation", "The End of Faith".
This is not a way to convince you that your convictions are wrong but to open up for other impressions. I'm sure these books are readily available from Borders and Barnes & Nobles downtown in your 'hood. If not, i'm sure you can find them online.
Ali, you are splitting my ribs! Hitchens and Dawkins available in Saudi bookstores? That'd be the day! Even trying to smuggle such books into SA would get you in trouble with the authorities.
I guess they never heard of Maggie Thatcher. I am not a fan of the lady, like the old British punk rock song goes "Maggie, you f**cking c**nt" but she was a kick ass, take no names type of leader.
BTW, I am voting for Obama when I get off work today!
I have already voted once for my Senator (Obama) in the primary election, and will certainly vote for him should he win the nomination.
eva, canada. i was fully aware of the fact that Hitchen and Dawkins may be a tad hard to get hold of as "OTC" books. may even be tough under the counter; easier to find "Rita does Riyadh" or "Meg does Mecca". probably noB&N or Borders in the 'hood either.
You are absolutely right, ubergirl. It couldn't be better said.
hello, i bounced here via taqo.
it's not just arab sexism-- it's nervous religious patriarchy everywhere. here's an american news article --not from 1950, but from yesterday
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- "Kansas activities officials are investigating a religious school's refusal to let a female referee call a boys' high school basketball game.
The Kansas State High School Activities Association said referees reported that Michelle Campbell was preparing to officiate at St. Mary's Academy near Topeka on Feb. 2 when a school official insisted that Campbell could not call the game.
The reason given, according to the referees: Campbell, as a woman, could not be put in a position of authority over boys because of the academy's beliefs."
Well said.
Though it can also be argued that there are differences within the differences. I for one am for the emancipation of women (being a woman myself!) but I'm against feminism.
I don't believe that 'independent career driven women' should be shoved down your throat.
What I'm saying is, some women are very very apt to their roles in the clerical, medical, etc fields (as the previously named examples show). And true, if the woman, historically, on a domestic platform is able to liase and manage children, maids, wet-nurses, servants, cooks and whatnot (talking of the more affluent woman) leadership is not all that modern a concept.
On the other hand, some women are more apt to following. Just like not all men are born leaders. Though I'd highly doubt that a woman like Hillary would fit in the latter category.
It's senseless prejudice. It's the individual's ability that should be judged. Not their perceived ability going by parameters such as race or gender.
The great thing is, everyone is female starting out. EVERYONE. It's pretty common knowledge that women carry the XX chromosome and men may carry XX or XY. Not until a few weeks go by does the X or Y chromosome that the man carries make itself prevalent. Therefore, everyone is female for a few weeks of their existence. Because the ovaries drop to become testicles makes men smarter at things? Times Magazine published a report that created a bit of a hornets nest here (in the US). They published an article that studied how much more intelligent did men perceive themselves to be compared to their actual IQ's. It wasn't pretty. The comments from the men were defiant and belligerent. Even in a country that promotes "equality" among races, sexes, creeds, class, ect it's not equal. Men will always be paid more, have better jobs, have first pick. The few women who push through it are harried and berated regularly. It takes some tough women to put up with the crap that men put us through.
Just remember what J.M Barrie said. She said, "Every man who is high up loves to think that he has done it all himself; and the wife smiles, and lets it go at that. It's our only joke."
Why does no one mention Germany's Angela Merkel?
After all she's considered the (politically) most powerful woman in the world.
Ali, I'm not interesting in atheism. I don't need a book to teach me what and how to believe. And Meg can't to Mecca without a Mahram, silly.
Sewmouse and Abu Sinan, YAY! Go 'Bama!
Anon, Googled Angela Merkel, and yeah she's impressive.
Thanks for your comments, everyone :-)
Hmmm...please don't get me wrong, I'm all pro-feminism and definitely support women in power. However, Angela Merkel is a different thing. If you actually live in Germany, as I happen to do, you don't find her impressive at all...
Go, women, go! But please not with this particular one ;)
By the way, a great blog, ubergirl! Kudos to you!
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