Infidels of Every Denomination

Grrl Power on the rise in India

One thing I have to give India-- even though they have a long, long way to go on the road to women's rights, its leaders put their money where their mouths are when it comes to working to change the plight of women in their country. I wrote previously about proposed legislation to battle domestic abuse; there have been efforts to specifically set aside a percentage of government seats for women; and now the government is making secondary level education totally free to families that have only one child who is female (with scholarships for further education and discounts for two-daughter families).

The incentive is aimed at both encouraging people to value girls more highly as well as controlling population growth (apparently many families continue to have children until they have a son). It also addresses the shortage of women in India, which is a direct outgrowth of its anti-female culture.

These are all noble goals, and I am all for measures that help women become better educated. However, there are some big problems with this program. First, even though secondary education is free for both public and private schools (possibly allowing parents of girls to enroll them in better schools far out of their means), post-graduate scholarships are limited to "non-professional" courses, however that is defined, which will almost certainly impact women's ability to match men's earning potential and therefore impact their independence and political clout. Second, the poor families who could most benefit from measures like these are also going to be the least likely to have access to reproductive health services that help them choose how many children to have. And if part of the goal of this program is actually to reduce the abortion of female children, it's going to fail spectacularly if there is a clear financial incentive to abort *additional* female children.

I think this quote sums it up:

"It is definitely a step forward in empowering women", Veena Nair, President of Women's Political Watch told the BBC.

However, she added: "The government must adopt a more holistic approach at empowering women by looking at a whole spectrum rather than this schematic or piecemeal approach".

Fumbling Towards Empowerment

This Outlook India interview with Kiran Bedi, India's first female IPS (Indian Police Service) officer talks about a piece of legislation expected to be signed into law any time now, that would set out a specific legal procedure for helping women who are victims of domestic abuse.

On the one hand, it's good news. India's track record on women's rights is pretty abysmal and the cultural view of women as lesser human beings is so ingrained that government programs aiming to improve the lot of women and girls have to work just to convince people that females are worth the effort and shouldn't just be drowned at birth. The problem of domestic violence against women, rooted in this attitude, is compounded by the value placed on a peaceful home free of negative influences from the outside-- and since women still frequently go to live in their husbands' family homes, a woman who complains about her treatment or goes to the authorities is accused of breaking that peace and bringing in those negative influences. Women's complaints of domestic abuse in India are often overlooked or dismissed, and the responsibility is placed on women to wait it out, or to try to "compromise" with husband and in-laws or brothers and fathers. So really, in some sense, any progress is good news.

The legislation, though, is not enough and might even further endanger abused women. Ms. Bedi goes to great lengths to assure the callers whose questions she is answering that police intervention is a "last resort, not a first"-- you get the impression that this legislation is crafted with a mind almost as much to sparing the man and his family any embarassment as to actually protecting the victim. The procedure requires the woman to file a complaint, at which point a *civil* case is heard between the woman and her attacker; if she wins, she can get "security" (which at least here is not clearly defined) so that she can *continue to live* with her attacker, who has been ordered to stop abusing her. It's only if he ignores that and abuses her again that the police can be called in and the abuser can receive a sentence of three to seven years (which seems light to me, but I'm not up on how long a man can go to jail in the US for similar offenses).

She also talks about how she thinks the law is really needed for the "helpless" women (because educated, reasonably independent women never get abused?) and says:

We also want to tell men that we do not want any confrontation, nor is the new law for breaking homes, it rather for strengthening them by way of ensuring equality for both. So please do not slap and abuse anymore.

That's all dandy and stuff, but anyone who knows anything about the abusive mentality knows that an abuser considers any form of resistance or complaint to be a confrontation, so trying to take a soft and appeasing "hey guys, can't we all just get along" attitude towards them is completely useless. Those women are not going to be helped until the taboo of "breaking homes" is lifted in favor of the reality that an abuse victim cannot be safe until she is able to leave the abusive environment. Domestic abuse laws can't be about "ensuring equality" as if there's a squabble about who owns the toaster. They must be about ensuring justice and the safety of those abused in the home.

I can't help thinking that India's domestic abuse problem is only going to get worse before it gets better, because any woman who becomes emboldened to take this legal action and is then returned to the abuser's side *after* fighting with him in court is only going to be in more danger. It does, however, at least sound like more women are willing to come forward and file complaints, and there seems to be a real effort to promote women's rights in general in India, so I suppose there's hope that when the new law makes first contact with reality, the legislators will soon see its failings and correct them.

Pyrrhic Victory

It is looking increasingly likely that any constitution that emerges from Iraq is going to be little more than a blueprint for a radical Islamic theocracy, suppressing the rights of women and minorities, and without any effective secular oversight to defend human rights against extremist laws.

Apologists for the Bush administration continue to claim that it's too early to tell what the final constitution will look like, that constitutionalizin' is HARD, and that ultimately the whole nation will be bought a Coke and taught to sing in perfect harmony, and there will be puppies and rainbows and that all those extremists, having spent 22 minutes plus commercial breaks trapped together in a stuck elevator while tender bonding, real understanding, and wacky hijinks ensue, will emerge slapping each other on the back, holding hands, and calling each other "turdblossom" with much fond laughter and noogies for all. (Presumably that's when our troops will be showered with flowers and hailed as liberators, like we were promised so long ago.)

But, see, when the draft of the constitution (and wasn't the final report already supposed to be turned in at the teacher's desk by now?) includes language like "No law can be passed that contradicts the undisputed principles of Islam" and speaks with the collective voice of "the sons of Mesopotamia"-- well, that just doesn't bode well for a final version that suddenly goes, "Sike! Just shittin' ya with the whole theocratic-official-state-religion thing, ha ha, made you look!"

I do, however, feel that I am in a Mirror Mirror universe when Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council and I are of similar opinions:

In an Aug. 18 statement, Tony Perkins, head of the conservative Family Research Council, wrote on that group's Web site: "I have sent a letter to President Bush encouraging the Administration to redouble its efforts to ensure that the Iraq Constitution provides genuine religious freedom for all Iraqi citizens. An Iraqi Constitution that does not protect religious liberty will seriously undermine U.S. efforts in Iraq and the larger Middle East. The sons and daughters of Americans are not risking their lives to establish a theocratic government that denies its citizens the fundamental right of religious freedom."

Which, you know, is really freakin' ironic coming from a guy who spoke at his organization's "Washington Briefing" locked-door meeting, that convened for some of the group's nobler purposes:

But most of all, they seek to overturn church-state separation, making America an officially “Christian nation.” To do so, they hope to repeal the federal ban of church electioneering and create a church-based political machine that controls politics throughout the country.

Hmmm...you know, if I were really cynical, I'd say that the neocons were shooting for this level of fiasco in Iraq so that they could help engineer an Islamic version of the Christian theocracy they want at home, you know, just to sort of iron out the wrinkles and make sure they get it right when they do it over here.

Or, the war was a lie and a tragic mistake, and Shrub's little fantasy of creating a new body politic in Iraq will turn out to be a Frankenstein's monster ultimately turning on its creator.

Well, that's a cheerful thought.

Kill Them All, Let God Sort Them Out?

Pat Robertson is at it again. This time, he's calling for the assassination of Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez:

"You know, I don't know about this doctrine of assassination, but if he thinks we're trying to assassinate him, I think that we really ought to go ahead and do it," Robertson said. "It's a whole lot cheaper than starting a war ... and I don't think any oil shipments will stop."

Wow. You've gotta love it when the cards just get laid out on the table like that.

Of course, what do you expect from the guy who claimed that homosexuality is like Nazism and that gays will bring about the wrath of god, toed the line of praying for the decline and/or death of Supreme Court justices, and says that feminism "encourages women to leave their husbands, kill their children, practice witchcraft, destroy capitalism and become lesbians"?

On a related note, the Christian Coalition, founded by Robertson, is being sued by Pitney Bowes to recover over $13k in unpaid postage fees. Says the WaPo in the article:

When political organizations stop or miss payments for utilitarian necessities such as rent and mail vendors, it sometimes is an indication of deeper trouble with their finances.

That's pretty speculative, but you know what? Couldn't happen to a nicer group.

Peaceful Assembly

August 13th saw the celebration of Peace Day 2005, a celebration by Indians and Pakistanis to urge peace between India and Pakistan, in College Park, MD. Similar celebrations have been taking place around the US and in India and Canada. The report of the event is here:

“We believe that when people lead, the political leaders are duty bound to follow," was the unanimous message participants of the Peace Day celebration wished to convey to people of the subcontinent. The recent people-to-people interaction has established beyond doubt that common people on both sides of the border are eager to foster cultural, commercial, educational, and familial relationships with each other.

The events coincide with the Independence Day celebrations of both India and Pakistan.

Here's hoping that peace is possible in the midst of the strained relations and violence of that region...

Jesus and the Red Balloon

The romantic in me really grooves on this WaPo article: Christian missionaries sending contraband to North Korea by balloon

In its entirety, the article talks about efforts to smuggle Christian items and more mundane contraband across the Chinese and South Korean borders, but the fact that they tie stuff to helium balloons and float it over the border is oddly charming.

The balloons carried plastic bags containing pamphlets of Bible scripture and pairs of nylon stockings to entice wary North Koreans. Lee's aerial evangelism was part of a broader campaign by Christian groups in East Asia and beyond against North Korean leader Kim Jong Il and his government.

The stockings are a nice touch too. "Accept Christ as your savior today, and we'll throw in this pair of L'Eggs silky sheers absolutely FREE!" Hee...

I personally feel kind of inspired to go buy some balloons and a helium tank and float balloons with my own brand of philosophical evangelism attached...and maybe a scratch-n-sniff sticker or a Homie. Mine could say things like, "It's not your birthday. Eat cake anyway" or maybe just "MONKIES!"

This is my absolute favorite part of the article, though:

North Korea contends that it grants religious freedom, and there are three Christian churches in Pyongyang often shown to visiting foreigners. But analysts describe decades of harsh campaigns to eradicate religion in North Korea and replace it with an elaborate political cult that exalts the Kim clan. Kim Jong Il, for instance, is said to have been born on a sacred mountaintop, his birth heralded by lighting bolts and a double rainbow.

I think I need a much more glamorous origin story than just that my mom had me in a hospital in the next state over because it was the only one in the area practicing natural childbirth at the time. I think my birth needs to have been heralded by showers of shooting stars, and dancing unicorns, and fairies handing out coupons for free ice cream, and of course a pink pony. But when I make my bid for world domination, I will be a much more benevolent tyrant. And those awful drab gray pajamas and big Old-Navy-old-lady-spokeswoman glasses will be among the few things banned in my realm. Let's see you fly THOSE in on balloons, sucka!

(On another balloon note, Suicidal Balloon is a seriously messed up animation series about a balloon that enjoys popping itself in order to scare people. So wrong, and yet so right.)

The Old College Try...

I'm pretty hard on Christianity sometimes, mostly because, well, the Christian Right is so out of control with hypocrisy and the politics of hate. So when I saw this article in the NY Times today, about Christian groups trying to get the administration to deal with human rights abuses in North Korea, I thought I had some good news to talk about.

Well, sort of. Seems like some fundamentalist groups are working together to bring attention to atrocities being committed by Kim Jong Il's regime, and in principle at least I'm all for that.

But I question the perspective of any group that thinks that George W. Bush is any kind of great humanitarian:

"God has put a man in office who has a heart for the nations, and for the pain and suffering that is happening all over the world," Ms. Younger said near a "sponsor's tent" as she recalled a talk with Mr. Bush about Mr. Kang's book when she visited the White House early last month.

So...would that include the suffering at Guantanamo Bay or Abu Ghraib? Or the brutality of the Mugabe regime in Zimbabwe? How about the pain and suffering at the hands of our "friends" in Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Egypt, Jordan...?

The Midland Ministerial Alliance took the opportunity to publicize their cause at Rock The Desert, which seems like sort of a fundamentalist Christian Burning Man, primarily by setting up an exhibit with graphic depictions of North Korean human rights abuses. The article doesn't show any part of the exhibit (I couldn't find any photos online, which leads me to wonder just how horrific it was), but it does show a photo of an 11-year-old girl covering her mouth against sulfurous gas fumes, presumably while viewing the source of those fumes, a re-creation of a gas chamber complete with bloody adult and baby mannequins.

So, I'm confused...I thought exposing kids to graphic violence was BAD and not in accordance with Christian family values...?

The centerpiece of their grand guignol tent show was apparently a North Korea defector and former prison camp inmate named Kang Chol Hwan. Again, this seems natural enough, but this "oh yeah" moment comes just about at the end of the article:

Just how many people practice Christianity underground in North Korea or are persecuted for it is impossible to determine, rights groups say. Communist North Korea has treated Christianity as treason for decades. But missionaries and defectors say they have heard reports of tiny underground churches.

Until recently Mr. Kang was not very religious, and until the addition of a new preface his memoir did not mention the subject.

"He is not really all gung-ho about prayer, prayer, prayer," and he was initially "flabbergasted" at the hero's welcome and shower of prayer here, the Rev. Douglas Shin, his friend and translator, said.

Mr. Kang is quickly learning to emphasize faith to his new American evangelical allies. Preparing for the festival, Mr. Shin helped Mr. Kang write a speech emphasizing "the love of Jesus Christ" and quoting the biblical "commission" to "make disciples of all the nations." [emphases mine]

So...are they giving this guy a forum to tell his story, or are they trying to exploit his experiences to further a religious agenda? It could just be that groups like this can't talk about anything without putting their religious slant on it, but it seems like he's getting pressured to talk about his non-religious experiences in a religious way. What gives?

Anyone got the lowdown on the Midland Ministerial Alliance or their partners? I know they were previously mobilized over the situation in Sudan, but that's about it. Curious minds want to know...

Separated at Birth?

Is John Bolton an evil twin?

(apologies to the Lorax)

"I am the Bolton, I speak wingnutese"

Hat tip to my honey for drawing the genius connection...

Freedom? Well, not of religion

Well, it seems that it's not enough for Bush to thwart personal  liberties in the US -- take a look at what our actions in Iraq have led to.  As Open Democracy's Lesley Abdela writes):

Insurgents and religious extremists use rape, acid and assassination to force Iraqi women to wear the veil – the symbol of submission, first signal of further repression to come. Many Iraqi women have never worn the scarf. Now, dead bodies of girls and women are found in rivers and on waste ground with a veil tied around the head, as a message.

Thank you, Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Report from the Pronoia Front: IRA to Disarm

Pronoia: n. The state of believing that the universe is disposed towards benevolence and that others are conspiring to shower you with blessings. The opposite of paranoia.

This article in today's New York Times reports that the Irish Republican Army is expected to issue a statement later this week announcing that they will disarm and seek diplomatic and political solutions to their issues from now on.

The news is met largely with skepticism, and only time will tell how this is actually going to shake out. But change is in motion; there was a time when I would never have thought an announcement like that would even be possible in my lifetime.

Great quote from Gerry Adams:

"That struggle [against British authority] can now be taken forward by other means," Mr. Adams said in a speech in Belfast. He asked, "Can you take courageous initiatives which will achieve your aims by purely political and democratic activity?"

It's wonderful just to hear someone who's been part of a bloody conflict call political and democratic activity "courageous", considering our climate where anyone who isn't a screaming hawk gets derided as weak.

I'll be watching the developments as they unfold, and fervently hoping that maybe this will truly be a turning point from which healing can begin.