Women in the Middle East have become a very interesting and pivotal topic in America. There are many issues on whether or not women in the Middle East need America's help. This is a blog that will discuss some aspects of Women in the Middle East. I hope to give my readers a better understanding of women in the Middle East.
Justin Timberlake goes to the Middle East to perform a concert last year, in December 2007, at a hotel in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Most would assume that he is going to support the American troops, but this was just another concert for his Sexy Back tour. Christina Aguilera performed just two months ago, in the same arena with the same popular reaction that Timberlake received. The fans loved them so much in fact the only complaint was the show being to short. Bahrain is even hosting concerts for Columbian pop star Shakira, who has gained notoriety for her lewd belly dancing. America’s popular influences are now spreading to the Middle East, and it’s not just popular singers and celebrities.
For the actual website go to: http://www.missarabworld-eg.com/
Miss Arab World started in 2006, and is very similar to Miss American pageant, where they judge women solely on physical beauty. However this pageant which consisted of seventeen women from fifteen different Middle Eastern countries is extremely conservative. Unlike the Miss American pageant their pageant did not include a swimsuit event. For example the 2007 winner, Wafaa Ganahi, a 23 year old teacher from Bahrain University is wearing a veil, but her face was exposed. The veil indicated that she did not have to reveal every aspect of her physical body, and could still win. Even though these women were in full attire some of their homeland countries, such as Saudi Arabia, may not condone this behavior. Some countries have harsh punishment for not wearing a veil in public. The event has created the illusion that these women have power, when in reality; this is just another exploitation of their roles as women. In fact this is more of an American exploitation then a Middle Eastern exploitation, such as suicide bombing. Even their own countries have not transgressed into a modern generation where this is acceptable, and having these women parade in a public event where they show their faces and skin, may cause a violent reaction towards them in their own countries.
Wafaa Ganahi receiving her crown in Miss Arab World 2007.
“The feminine veil has become a symbol: that of the slavery of one portion of humanity.” Germaine Tillion. This is a classic example of how most European and Western cultures view the veil of the Middle East. There is a boundary that is created a difference of superiority between men and women. In today’s society educated women are now turning to a conservative “Islamic” dress, not because they are forced to, or for the same reason their previous generations wore a veil, but because they are defining their identity. This cannot be said about all countries in the Middle East: Saudi Arabia, North Yemen, and some areas in Afghanistan and Pakistan do not allow women to be present in public or in another man’s presence, besides her families. However countries such as Turkey, Lebanon, Iraq, Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria, Jordan and Egypt do not enforce a rule about women wearing a veil. This piece of clothe is not the danger; however the values it represent can be dangerous. The role it plays for women in the family deems inequality with divorce, child custody, and inheritance.
Ironically in Egypt the women have created a new style of a milaya (head scarf), that is a simple expression of modern day garments. Middle and upper class, which are educated and working women, view the veil and wardrobe as professional. As one medical student states, “I think of Islamic dress as a kind of uniform. It means I am serious about myself and my religion but also about my studies.” Ironically she even points out that she can be taken more seriously because her physical appearance is not exposed. The third reason is because of their Muslim faith, and tradition with wearing a veil. Finally, wearing the Islamic garment stresses the importance their religious values, so their families may be more lenient with their actions, such as having a later curfew.
The veil is a piece of fabric that has created so many complex values and symbols that can have multiple implications and different impacts. When manipulated in the wrong way, it is easy to see how other cultures have a negative view of Islamic dress. However like so many issues regarding women in the Middle East it’s not always black and white.
For More Information: http://books.google.com/books?id=KzRX9E_-yp0C&pg=PA151&lpg=PA151&dq=the+veiled+revolution&source=web&ots=GMgahqHFAH&sig=mbmV1FCrrRUJBt3w7xVdDCss0Fc
Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is just like any other country with there own military that includes a naval, air force, and army force. Israel is the only country in the world that draft women at the age of eighteen. Men serve for a term of three years where women are only required to serve for 21 months. Even immigrants are allowed to join IDF. Even though women are drafted they may not have to complete their services or even start depending on their age, personal status, and religion. As of 1991 while 6% of the American military were women, while a massive 40% of IDF were composed of women. The one big difference is Israel women are taught everything, for example how to operate a tank or prepare for biological attack, except they are not allowed to participate in actual combat. They are taught to train the men to prepare for combat. Women can obtain any level in the military. One female Sergeant even said she had no problem working with other men, “They even forget that I’m a girl, and just see me as one of the guys”. In the odds of 3.5 million Jews surrounded by over a 100 million hostiles, from a 50+ year war, most women are not intimidated by being drafted. In fact it’s just the opposite. There is no question of “should I or shouldn’t I”, to them this is their country and a way of life. Even Nativa Garuda, was one of the first females in IDF, who served in the front line for 7 months explains why women do not see combat. Her generation did see combat, and the gruesome things that happened to the women in particular were so horrific that most women threatened committing suicide before becoming a POW. Tel Aviv’s government witnessed the way women were mutilated, raped, and tortured to death, therefore stating from then on no women would see combat from then on. Since then there are some women who agree and some who disagree with seeing combat. Overall the amazing aspect is how these women participate to protect their country, and the men see and respect them for it as well.
Women have gone from being life givers to life takers. Counterterrorism intelligence experts have gathered most of their information from failed female suicide bomber interviews. Farhana Ali (counterterrorism expert from Rand Corporation) explains how women have a maternal instinct to protect their “society, their children, or their community”. A good example is Wafa Idris, who was a 28 year old divorcee. On January 31, 2002 Wafa Idris detonated a bomb that killed her and an 81 year old man, and injured over 100 others. No one is sure if she meant to plant the bomb, or if she intentionally sacrificed herself for the Palestinian fight against the state of Israel. The one thing Palestinian’s knew was she was the first Palestinian female suicide bomber, and she opened the floodgates of a feminism movement. Wafa had volunteered at the Palestinian Red Crescent Society in Ramallah. She had seen “terrible things… the body parts, the children who were shot, the pregnant women who lost their babies at Israeli checkpoints” (Biedermann, 2). Wafa’s brother Khalil even pointed out that seeing the horror and gruesomeness to her fellow countrymen “is enough of a motive for any reasonable person’ (to do such acts, and she) has honored the family” (Biedermann, 2). Wafa felt her only option was no longer fixing “the innocent”, but killing the people who did this to her countrymen was her anger finally erupting at the Israelis.
Below is a picture of young children glorifying Wafa Idris.
There has been an immediate trend in detonating one’s body for the “greater good”. There were four immediate female suicide bombers shortly after Wafa Idris’ suicide. From January to April 2008 there have already been seven female suicide bombers. The picture above shows young children embracing the ideals of Wafa sacrificing herself for their country. The question remains, could Palestinians truly stop the violence if there is a peace treaty that was honored by the Israelis? In the end of the Aljazeera clip, Fuad Najjar (son of An-Najjar who was killed before carrying out her suicide mission in the Gaza strip) discusses the ramification of the war on Israeli. “We want the occupation to end, for the Israeli’s to truly leave, and leave us alone. If we had dignity, independence, and freedom I don’t think anyone would contemplate suicide bombings”. With so little trust among neighboring countries, it is hard to see if there could be a conflict resolution. Until the countries can resolve their conflicts Palestinian women will continue to protect their country with whatever means necessary.
For more information: http://www.israel-wat.com/idris_eng.htm http://dir.salon.com/story/mwt/feature/2002/01/31/female_bomber/index.html
This is the first part of the YouTube video: Everywomen- Women in Terrorism http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSpH0wtwRzs
This is a picture of a young Middle Eastern girl, would you want her to go through Female Genital Mutilation?
Below is a video about an Egyptian woman and her fight for her daughter to not go under female genital mutilation.
In the Arab world one of the most possessions a girl owns is her hymen. Her hymen is the essence of her honor, her families honor, and her societies honor. If her hymen is prematurely broken then she is disgraced because the assumption is she had sexual intercourse before marriage, and therefore no one would want her. The Middle East religious values and honor usually intertwine with each other so intricately that Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is thought to derive from their religion, when it fact it actually derives from their culture. The tribulations with rooting all honor on a young girl’s hymen is that anatomically and biologically females differ from each other. “For it is known that 11.2% of girls are born with an elastic hymen, 16.16% with so fine a membrane that it is easily torn, 31.21% with a thick elastic hymen, and only 41.32% with what may be considered a normal hymen” (Saadawai, p26). Less then half of all girls have a “normal hymen” and because of their biological makeup some girls’ honor is already stripped from them. What is more of a surprise is that “if a girl lost her life, it would be considered less of a catastrophe than if she lost her hymen” (Saadawai, p26). One way that a woman can preserve her virginity is to cut off her clitoris before she reaches puberty. By cutting off her clitoris it removes all sexual sensation, and therefore the theory is removing her sexual desire. That is not the solution because many women still have desires to have sexual intercourse because the desires derive from her thoughts and emotions, not a small organ in between her thighs.
Although countries like Egypt (see above video for more information) have started joining forces with UNICEF (an organization that helps for gender equality, nutrition, health awareness, etc) about educating their people FGM is more harmful to women physiologically and mentally and is starting to put an end to it. Educating people who practice FGM may be the means to ending this barbaric problem, but unfortunately people’s cultures may still be hesitant. Even the women and men in medical school still believed in FGM which was astonishing. The reason that Nawal Saadawai, the author of The Hidden Face of Eve, suggest this is due to the lack of education of the clitoris and the role in women’s sexuality. The clitoris, which is considered an organ, is often neglected in most medicine teachings. Therefore the assumption would be it lacks relevance. However not only does it play a role in a women’s lives, the way the women lose their clitoris is barbaric.
For more information:
The Hidden Face of Eve: Woman in the Arab World by: Nawal El Saadawi http://books.google.com/books?id=u5n9zUZuVI8C&pg=PA38&lpg=PA38&dq=the+very+fine+membrane+called+honour&source=bl&ots=kHE9oHw7s8&sig=7kTCbP_F5GjWbKrY73xIT9fuFBc&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=1&ct=result
For personal story of a girl who underwent FGM, and her experience from it. Opening the Gates by Alifa Rifaat
Victoria Woodhull, in 1838, and Marietta Lizzie Bell Stow, in 1884, whereas the first American female candidates to run for a presidential and vice presidential seats in the United States. Neither of these women was elected into office, but they were the beginning of women anchoring themselves into political power. Over the next century women have continued to achieve power in America, but have not yet seen a position in a major political office. Even in today’s modern era Hillary Clinton did not make the final ballot. Ironically, around the world, Tzipi Livni may become the second female prime minister of Israel. At the pinnacle of power in her country, although it is not official yet, she would be the first female in many years to hold such power. In the early 1970’s, Golda Meir (the first female prime minister of Israel and the third in the world) already achieved more diplomatic power than any other female in the United States. What is even more astonishing is Israel is not the only Middle Eastern country to have a woman in political office. Benazir Bhutto reigned as prime minister in Pakistan twice in 1988 and 1993. The question remains why would the Middle East, who is stereotyped as oppressing women, have more women in political power than America?
For more information on Tzipi Livni campaign:
Or http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2008/09/2008922165515551230.html
For more information about Women in Leadership please visit: http://www.guide2womenleaders.com/Candidates_Vice1880.htm
Suicide bombing is a topic rarely discussed in Western cultures, but throughout the last several years it has become an ever-growing trend in the Middle East. Women have always been involved in the political violence, but rarely has the world seen women in a lead role by becoming a suicide bomber. In the Middle East where women’s roles are commonly placed with being the wife and mother, some women never achieve such status. This may become one motive for deciding to use their bodies as a weapon of destruction and terror.
Women who lose or never gain their identity of motherhood or wife may go through certain stages of grief when deciding to enter the world of suicide bombing. The work of Elizabeth Kuebler-Ross, a psychologist who studied stages of grief, can explain reactions to a loss of identity. One emotion is depression, which may not be the sole, but is a contributive factor in some female suicide bombing cases. Kuebler-Ross states, “In this deep depression, they see only a horrible end with nothing beyond it”. To feel so hopeless and empty all the time is unbearable, in a country of Israel, where suicide bombing is glorified.
A video clip of Wafa Samir Al-Biss:
For example 21 year old Wafa Samir Al-Biss was scarred from an explosion six months before she was caught on an attempted suicide mission. The scars were so bad on her face that she wasn’t likely to attract a suitable husband. Wafa’s disfigurement left her a target to be approached by the Fatah al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade terrorist group. For Wafa she had lost her identity. Depression is an emotion that Western cultures treat with pills and therapy, while across the world these women are preyed on by their countries to help fight their nation’s struggles against Israel.
These are some alternative links if you would like to know more:
Elizabeth Kuebler-Ross’ Stages of grief http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stages_of_grief
Wafa Samir Al-Biss news story http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Terrorism-+Obstacle+to+Peace/Terrorism+and+Islamic+Fundamentalism-/Attack+by+female+suicide+bomber+thwarted+at+Erez+crossing+20-Jun-2005.htm
Female Suicide Bombers Police Study http://www.police-studies.com/papers/suicide.pdf
