Search results for - newest show first
The Long Road to Reform
By Alec Cumming
Arrival in Riyadh International Airport, and the first steps taken in Saudi Arabia, has a distinct feeling of significance for a western traveler. Immediately one is faced with the drastic cultural differences present, perhaps the most obvious of all can be found in the presence of Saudi women. Or rather, a lack of presence. There are no female airport workers, or indeed female workers of any sort to be seen upon arrival. The only women in sight are covered head to toe, wearing the niqab and the abaya to cover their entire bodies, and move like shadows behind their male escorts.
As a male traveller, I was spared the enforcement of a dress code, since there is none for men. But all women, no matter their descent or religious beliefs are required by law to wear the niqab, to cover the head and face, and abaya, to cover the body to the toes, at all times in public. Compliance with the law is ensured by the Mutaween, or religious police, who operate almost entirely unrestricted in their enforcement of the official policies of the Kingdom[i]. Punishment for any infractions are often swift and brutal in nature, with the accused having no access to a lawyer, and no semblance of a fair trial before being subjected to the will of the Mutaween, be it torture, flogging, maiming or beheading[ii]. Even small infractions of the dress code can result in public beatings or arrest, keeping women well in check.
conditioned to expect male dominance and female subordination at all times, something which is not easily undone.
The level of institutional discrimination against women in Saudi Arabia is unrivaled. The laws in place are unmatched in their blatant disregard for the notion of female mobility, and the method of law enforcement is barbaric at best. However, the recent decision to allow women to vote and run in elections is an extremely promising development, and the actions of Saudi reforms like Rania Al-Baz and Nadia Bakhurji are creating important discussion around traditionally taboo topics. There are sign of change. The challenges however, years of male domination that have created an ingrained expectation of complete authority over women, will not be overcome quickly or easily. Indeed, a substantial shift in cultural values is required for women to approach any sort of equality, something that will likely be fraught with backlashes and violence, and thus cannot and should not be rushed. The events in the lead up to the 2015 elections will be extremely telling in terms of male acceptance of the idea female voters, and the results of the election, should it go smoothly, could be the start of a more profound and widespread change in the Saudi mindset.
[i] Lichter, I. (2009). Muslim women reformers. Amherst, NY: Prometheus Books.
[ii] Lichter, I. (2009). Muslim women reformers. Amherst, NY: Prometheus Books.
[iii] Doumato, E. A. (2003). Education in saudi arabia: Gender, jobs, and the price of religion. In E. Doumato & M. Posusney (Eds.), Women and Globalization in the Arab Middle East (pp. 239-257). Boulder, CO: Lynne Rienner Publishers.
[iv] Lichter, I. (2009). Muslim women reformers. Amherst, NY: Prometheus Books.
[v] Lichter, I. (2009). Muslim women reformers. Amherst, NY: Prometheus Books.
[vi] Lichter, I. (2009). Muslim women reformers. Amherst, NY: Prometheus Books.
[vii] Silvey, R. (2008). Transnational domestication. In C. Elliott (Ed.), Global Empowerment of Women (pp. 101-117). New York, NY: Routledge
[viii] Variety Arabia Staff. (2009, March 06). Saudis open screen door. Variety,
[ix] Buchanan, E. (2011, September 25). Women in saudi arabia to vote and run in elections. BBC
[x] Lichter, I. (2009). Muslim women reformers. Amherst, NY: Prometheus Books.
[xi] Lichter, I. (2009). Muslim women reformers. Amherst, NY: Prometheus Books.
[xii] Lichter, I. (2009). Muslim women reformers. Amherst, NY: Prometheus Books.
[xiii] Lichter, I. (2009). Muslim women reformers. Amherst, NY: Prometheus Books.
Saudi laws regarding women are entirely religious ones, overseen and interpreted by religious scholars under the oversight of the King, who maintains an absolute, and undemocratic authority. Under these laws, women are heavily restricted in nearly every way imaginable; banned from driving, traveling alone, or even checking into a hospital without written permission from a man[iii]. Marriage laws allow for men to easily obtain divorces, while women must request a court approval, where a woman’s testimony is treated as presumption, rather than fact[iv]. Indeed there are a variety of forms that marriage in Saudi Arabia can take, including temporary marriages, marriages that require no financial support from the husband to the wife, and marriages that allow for older men to marry significantly younger women, or even girls. There are even accounts of 3 three old girls being married off by their fathers, with the marriage being consummated by the age of 9[v].
There are somewhat more encouraging trends to be found in the Saudi education system, where women make up 58 percent of university students, although they are restricted from studying certain subjects that are considered ‘male’, like engineering. These high university enrollment numbers are somewhat of an oddity however, since women make up a lowly 5 percent of the workforce in Saudi Arabia, and an estimated 33 percent of Saudi women are believed to be illiterate[vi], thus showing not only that this university education is rarely put into practice, but that a vast number of women are still denied even basic education. In a similar case, while there are now a handful of high profile women working high ranking positions in the Saudi government, it is only through their privileged backgrounds and a wealth of connections that they have risen to positions of power, while the vast majority of women in the country have no power at all.
Recent improvements for women include a change to be recognized by name on government identity cards in 2001, rather than the property of a male[vii]. In 2008, women were giving the right to check into hotels on their own, and this year, for the first public screening of a movie in 30 years, it was deemed acceptable for women to watch the movie in the presence of men[viii], but the most significant change was the announcement that women would be allowed to vote and run in elections beginning in 2015[ix]. Despite most of these gains being meager and long overdue, many traditionalists were, and remain, drastically opposed to even the smallest of these reforms and allowances, showing a complete lack of acceptance for the improved rights of Saudi women. Indeed Saudi Clerics and traditionalists are quick to write off women’s rights as a form of cultural imperialism; the corrupting effect of western culture on the Arab world. Such a stance provides no avenue for discussion on such issues with westerners concerned about the rights of Saudi women, but there are, however, reformers living under these conditions who challenge these conditions on moral and, quite importantly, religious grounds. Believing that the Quran has been misinterpreted to oppress women, this scripture based argument is much harder to ignore than the criticisms of the western world.
One such reformer is Rania Al-Baz, who is perhaps the most high profile advocate for change in Saudi Arabia following her appearance on an episode of Oprah. Al-Baz was nearly beaten to death by her husband in 2004, who left her unconscious outside of a hospital with extensive injuries received from repeatedly smashing her head against the floor of their home[x]. As a well-known news broadcaster, Al-Baz was in a position to make a stand against this type of abuse which is all too commonly ignored in Saudi Arabia. Al-Baz became the first Saudi Woman to press charges on her husband for abuse, and in large part due to the media attention paid to the story, Al-Baz won the case, but pardoned her husband in exchange for a divorce and child custody. This was a tremendous victory for the recognition of women’s rights in Saudi Arabia, but Al-Baz’s actions following her victory, in particular her appearance on Oprah where she was seen with an unveiled face, tainted the victory. Her unveiled face was as far as the thought process went for many Saudis; she invited the violence from her husband through her inappropriate behaviour[xi]. Al-Baz’s case provides one of only examples in Saudi Arabia where a women was able to effectively use the existing power structure in her favour, to protect herself from an abusive husband, but once she stepped outside the rigid gender role set for women, the impact of the decision was easily deflected by the cultural demands of Saudi men.
Nadia Bakhurji is another prominent female Saudi reformer, who attempted to run for political office in 2005 using a legal loophole, but was denied the chance to run by the Saudi government, citing logistical issues[xii]. Bakhurji believes that the issue is a cultural one at the core, rather than a religious one, explaining that “it is not in our culture to tolerate. We are very judgemental. This is wrong. We need to educate people to be tolerant rather than judgemental… this kind of narrow-mindedness which is programmed… socially from an early age needs to be changed. The only way we can move forward is to get rid of this ignorance”[xiii]. Indeed, while the legal changes have been slow to come, there does seem to be some willingness to consider change at the top. The real resistance to change comes from the male population at large, who has been
The Rising Rights Movement in Saudi Arabia
Did You Know?
-58% of university students in Saudi Arabia are women
-The first elections allowing female participation will be held in 2015
-Women constitute only 5% of the workforce
AIR YEZZY 2'S UPDATE
After waiting this long for the
Nike Air Yeezy II'S, get ready to wait a
little longer. According to a Nike
spokesperson, the Air Yeezy 2'S release
date has been officially set for June.
Retail will still be $245. This all means
one thing — if you're camping out now, you might want to stop home and get more supplies. Stay tuned to INSIDEVIEW for the latest news on the Yeezy 2'S drop as we get it.
The Roots’ annual Roots Picnic music festival returns June 2-3rd at Festival Pier in the band’s native Philadelphia. this year’s lineup boasts Kid Cudi, Rakim, De La Soul (backed by The Roots!), Wale, Major Lazer, Diplo, St. Vincent, The Tune-Yards, Danny Brown, Shabazz Palaces, Moosh & Twist, Flosstradamus, Stretch Armstrong, The Hood Internet, Star Slinger, Mr. MFN Exquire, Kids These Days, Chill Moody and more.
Two-day passes on sale NOW via Ticketmaster.
THE 5TH ANNUAL ROOTS PICNIC
JUNE 2ND & 3RD
THE PHILADELPHIA JAZZ MONTH IS HERE AND ITS NOT A JOKE !!!!!
APril 1st to 30th
For free events, show, live entertainment and more Visit
RSVP does not gaurantee entry. Please arrive on time to ensure admittance.
|
TODAYS IS THE YOUTH POETRY MOVEMENT>>>RSVP TILL 5pm
The INSIDE VIEW
THE RETROSPECTIVE VIEW
Coming Soon
Rob Dobi chyba nie lubi nowych subkultur, bo w 2001 roku zawiesił stronę z zabawną instrukcją obsługi pod tytułem “How to dress like emo”. Kiedy jakiś czas temu ktoś wytknął mu jej nieaktualność, twierdząc że teraz każdy normalny małolat ubiera się w ten sposób, postanowił stworzyć nową, aktualną bazę. Chyba nie zdawał sobie sprawy na co się porwał. Różnorodność stylów, odłamów, gatunków, pogatunków imponuje i wciąź się powiększa. A z drugiej strony, gdzieśtam unosi się pytanie, ile pieniędzy trzeba dziś wydać żeby wyglądać na prawdziwego buntownika.
Cała baza znajduje się pod adresem yourscenesucks.com. Niektóre koszulki są nawet do kupienia.
Buntownicy od świadomego wyboru
josh keyes
Sirens (40"x30", acrylic on panel, 2012)
Scorch I (18"x24", acrylic on panel, 2009)
Stampede (60"x120", acrylic on canvas, 2011)
Tangled II (30"x40", acrylic on panel, 2011)
Descent (24"x20", acrylic on panel, 2011)
Waking (40"x30", acrylic on panel, 2011)
-Josh Keyes' work is a hybrid of
eco-surrealism and dystopian folktales that express a concern for our time and the Earth's future.-
-American contemporary artist-
via: biography page in
from the movie "They Live" -1988
The Movie "They Live"-1988
If you wear this pair of sunglasses, you will wake up to the fact that aliens have taken over the earth.
They Live is a 1988 science fiction/horror film directed by John Carpenter. Part science fiction horror and part dark comedy. the film echoed contemporary fears of a declining economy, within a culture of greed and conspicuous consumption common among Americans. In They Live, the ruling class within the moneyed elite are in fact aliens managing human social affairs through the use of a signal on top of the TV broadcast that is concealing their appearance and subliminal messages in mass media.- wiki
(brilliant concept!)
KacWawa
a kwestia polskiej reklamy
Echa zamieszania z filmem powoli chchną, ale mam nadzieję że efekt kampanii sprzeciwu wywołanej przez Tomasza Raczka będzie miał charakter długowalowy. Rozumiem że w każdym procesie edukacyjnym (w tym przypadku mam na mysli dwudziestoletni okres wyciągania naszego kraju z prowincjonalnej mentalności) musi być miejsce na serię upadków z konia. Ale głosy zapowiadające upadek polskiej kinematografii pamietam od premiery "Psów" Pasikowskiego i w porównaniu z nimi, ostatnie upadki groziły poważną kontuzją kręgosłupa. Poprzez gęsty muł zaczęło przebijać się prawdziwe, twarde, skaliste dno.
Tak, jestem po stronie recenzenta. Czara goryczy się przelała. Nie można nazywać szamba perfumerią, przyszedł czas na lekcje prowadzone za pmocą bata i szpicruty. Oliwy do ognia dolewa sam producent Jacek Sajmołowicz który pozywa Raczka za straty finansowe. I tu jest pies pogrzebany. Można się krytykować, obrażać, nie organizować pokazów prasowych ale to wszystko da sie z łatwością znieść. Ale trzepnięcie po kieszeni. To naprawdę boli...
Zastanawiam się kiedy pojawi się Tomasz Raczek polskiej reklamy i w sumie kogo miałby tak naprawdę trzepnąć. Biznesowa kurtuazja nakazuje stwierdzić że wina leży pośrodku. Skoro z filmami mamy problemy, to tym bardziej z branżą która w Polsce rozwija się od zaledwie dwóch dziesięcioleci. Może trzeba poczekać jeszcze jedną dziesiątkę, przecież jest postep. Wystarczy rzucić okiem na legendy polskiej reklamy telewizyjnej () i złapać się za głowę patrząc na produkcje z którymi warsztatowo, smiało może konkurować polowa dzisiejszych najbardziej mydlanych seriali. No tak, tylko że głowa jakoś potwornie boli od kaca, a nigdzie pod ręką nie ma aspiryny.
Maszynka do podświetlania
Kiedy byłem chłopcem troche wstydziłem się dziewczyn. Nie jakoś bardzo, krajowa średnia, ale istniała pewna dysproporcja między moimi potrzebami, a zdolnościami społecznymi. A że od dziecka jedną z moich obsesji było optymalizowanie wszystkiego dookoła, postanowiłem usprawnić proces poznawania fajnych koleżanek. Pamiętajmy że mówimy o czasach kiedy spontaniczne i zagadanie "co tam" było rzadkie jak magnetofon z funkcją auto-rewers.
Tak więc, wymarzyłem sobie osobistą maszynkę podobną do kalkulatora która wskazywałaby dziewczyny z gwarantowanym sukcesem w konwersacji. Taki wynalazek w hierarchii przedmiotów marzeń leżał na półce obok czapki niewidki i maszyny do cofania popełnionych błędów. Maszynka była bezprzewodowo połączona z mózgiem, wiedziała co i jak, a w przypadku zbliżenia do właściwej dziewczyny mrugała czeroną lampką. Podchodzisz, zagadujesz cokolwiek co przychodzi do głowy i bingo.
Po co ten wstęp? Bo tak się składa że ktoś właśnie zaprojektował moją maszynkę. Highlight to aplikacja na iPhona która wskazuje nam te osoby znajdujące się w pobliżu, z którymi mamy "coś wspólnego". Bazując na informacjach z Facebooka możemy szybko poznać naszych wspólnych znajomych i dzielone zainteresowania, odtworzyć historię "spotkań" które przegapiliśmy i na spokojnie przejrzeć ile potencjalnych znajomych ostatnio nas minęło. Najciekawszych z nich można oznaczyć tytułowym podświetleniem. Na ich podstawie aplikacja jeszcze precyzyjniej sprofiluje swoje poszukiwania.
Bazując na informacjach z Facebooka możemy szybko poznać naszych wspólnych znajomych i dzielone zainteresowania, odtworzyć historię "spotkań" które przegapiliśmy i na spokojnie przejrzeć ile potencjalnych znajomych ostatnio nas minęło. Najciekawszych z nich można oznaczyć tytułowym podświetleniem. Na ich podstawie aplikacja jeszcze precyzyjniej sprofiluje swoje poszukiwania.
Highlight od 1 marca dostepna jest na całym swiecie poprez AppStore. Swoją oficjalną premierę miała na SXSW, który był dla niej naturalnym poligonem doświadczalnym. Świadkowie mówią że jest super. I tak pomimo posiadania żony, dziecka, kota i kredytu we frankach zaistalowałem sobie Highlight. I mam już nawet jednego highlightowego znajomego. Ale nie powiem kogo, bo to facet.
flicks.flicks.flicks
It's that time again for me to clean out my computer and share some mo' flicks with cha'. Enjoy zombies.
Posting shit for your enjoyment circa 2011.
University of Utah scientists discovered that air flows in one direction as it loops through the lungs of alligators, just as it does in birds. The study suggests this breathing method may have helped the dinosaurs’ ancestors dominate Earth after the planet’s worst mass extinction 251 million years ago. Via: Science Daily
Study Find
Image: Tammy Karr
Alfred Rudolph Waud emigrated to the United States from England as an illustrator in 1850. Waud was one of a number of sketch artists working during the Civil War, providing depictions of battles and scenes that photographic equipment was still too new to capture.
Waud was with the Army of the Potomac for the duration of the Battle of Gettysburg, and a number of his sketches survive. Most of a sketch artist’s work would not make it to publication. The sketch usually provided the basis for a more elaborate engraving that would appear in print. Waud’s “Death of Reynolds” sketch is depicted here, with Reynold’s falling backwards off his horse, hat coming off his head. Keep reading article
Could You Sketch During A War?
A.R. Waud Did!
Via: Gettysburg Daily
Bart Threads.
Everything seems to look a little better when you add The Simpsons somewhere. Found this fabulous picture over at the New York blog - Art from Behind. Kathy Grayson runs the art world/life based blog and she is founder of The Hole gallery.
Magic Waxx (tin) - £9.00
As it says on the tin. A magic waxx for YOUR pleasure! Take one soy wax candle & throw in some cocoa and shea butter, for nourishing your skin, some peppermint oil for tickling your senses and some toffee flavoured oil (just incase..) and you have a massage candle for one! Light the wick and allow the waxx to melt into a soft warm pool. After 20 mins blow the wick out and then scoop out the warm waxx, to use as a body and face treatment, just like 5 star spas and resort treatments!
Check out the new album by
It's
STILL
a
great
record
...after all these years