Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2010/03/10
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]We are looking to hire a data entry person in Uruzgan province and I told the staff to move forward but I wanted a woman in the job. The response I got was resistant with the seemingly absurd comment that "The (Afghan) military will investigate us if we have women working in our office." Turns out it is not so absurd as it is happening in the far-flung provinces. Never mind the constitution which guarantees women the right to work. Sexually repressive societies tend to lead to a preoccupation with sex. It beggars belief, what some of these people come up with. And Mark, it is fascinating to see how tribal mores and Islam get all tangled up. If you can't see that, I'd suggest you get out more. And when/if you do, take care not to conflate your fascination with a train wreck as approval of same. Wendy On Thu, Mar 11, 2010 at 12:59 AM, Tina Manley <images at comporium.net> wrote: > This is one of the most ridiculous of the bans against women that I heard > on > NPR today: > > Besides the terrible killings inflicted by the fanatics on those who refuse > to pledge allegiance to them, Al-Qa'eda has lost credibility for enforcing > a > series of rules imposing their way of thought on the most mundane aspects > of > everyday life. They include a ban on women buying suggestively-shaped > vegetables, according to one tribal leader in the western province of > Anbar. > Sheikh Hameed al-Hayyes, a Sunni elder, told Reuters: "They even killed > female goats because their private parts were not covered and their tails > were pointed upward, which they said was haram. > "They regarded the cucumber as male and tomato as female. Women were not > allowed to buy cucumbers, only men." > > Common sense is nowhere to be found. > > Tina > > On Wed, Mar 10, 2010 at 2:49 PM, Mark Rabiner <mark at rabinergroup.com> > wrote: > > > > The same enclosures are seen in Iraq, Jordan, and the UAE (and I am > sure > > > other places, but that's the extent of my experience). On what can be > > bleak > > > and uninviting streets, behind the walls one can find lush gardens. I > > > think, to some extent, the concept of "purdah" figures into the walled > > > compound reasoning. Purdah is the sequestering of women (the burqa is > a > > > portable form). Women can be relaxed and uncovered when they are > around > > > "mahram", which denotes male family members, and not seen by the casual > > > passers-by. The Afghans tend to take this concept more seriously than > do > > > the Arabs although in the Emirates most Arab women will wear the niqab, > > or > > > the veil with only the eyes showing (a Wahabbi thing). A typical > > complaint > > > encountered here in Kabul are the large multi-story villas (aka "poppy > > > palaces") overlooking the walled compounds which encroaches on the > > privacy > > > of a more modest home. > > > > > > Islam plays a part in all of this, but much of it is cultural. It's > > become > > > entangled in religion despite the strictures of the Holy Quran which > > require > > > a woman to "cover her charms" and "not stamp her feet". It's all > pretty > > > fascinating, really. > > > > > > Wendy > > > > > > " fascinating" not the current word of choice to describe the > > circumstances > > of middle east women by most culture respecting humanist and certainly > > women's groups. > > " fascinating" would have been good for a national geographic in the 60s. > > > > > > [Rabs] > > Mark William Rabiner > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Leica Users Group. > > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > > > > > > > -- > Tina Manley, ASMP > www.tinamanley.com > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information >