I noticed that on my page on population growth, the interesting issue of the women's movement came up.
I won't talk about the population growth video, important though I think it is.
I'll express some thoughts, some that came to mind as I have read various posts on other pages of this site, about Islam and comments about women's issues; I'll express some thoughts just off the top of my head.
How the women's movement, immigration to the Occident and religious revivals are meshing these days is not an easy phenomenon to grasp, let alone talk about.
The complexities involved in the meeting of cultures when I was a kid, member of a military family, were great :
changing schools.
learning a new system of measurement,
learning about new food,
new rules on how and when I could call at the homes of my new friends,
new language,
new way of expressing things,
learning about the history of the country my Dad was posted in,
new news papers,
new tv shows,
new magazines,
new popular musical groups,
new set of actors known nationally,
.... learning about the 'personality' of a new country,
e v e n ... when you're 8 & 9 years old and can absorb cultural information at the speed of light and like a sponge,
was a great challenge.
Back then, when you came in contact with another culture, it was because you'd gotten on a ship or a plane and travelled many hours, and because you were a relative rarity, the receiving culture was able to handle the newness of you.
Today, cultures are barrelling into each other at a faster rate, because work force realities are cause many more people to move around.
Today, cultures are barrelling into each other at a faster rate, because of the Internet, and other more traditional elements of mass media that have been ttansformed because of the electronic revolution.
When I was kid, my Dad came home for 2 hours in the middle of the day with Le Figaro & Le Monde under his arm. The news in those papers was days old.
Stories had been worked on for weeks, months.
Today, even the news is "prêt-à-porter", because we get "fast news" (think fast food).
Once in a while, a real journalist come out with a true investigative piece, but, so much news is of the 'burger & fries" type.
When we get away for a few days, away from tv and radio even, and curl up with a book, it seems that our world slows to a pace more in keeping with the capacity of our being to keep up.
My question is :
- how do we go about talking about conservative religious culture and issues raised by the women's movement ? ?
I may be wrong, but I am wondering if by enumerating some of the complexities, a more complexe exchange might take place. Not that the exchanges I've read on this site are not at times interesting, because they are;
I just mean that exchange between people with varying views might gain in depth, if more complexity is added to the exchange.
I give an example.
When I take my female child shopping, I can't find clothing that I think is suitable for her to wear. Much of the clothing in the stores look like they come off of street-walkers.
I'm a ballerina; the movie "The Last Dance", with Patrick Swayzie and his dancer wife of some 30 years, is beautiful. Representing the beauty, in art form, of physical love is just that, art.
But, when I leave dance class, I'm wearing loose, tom-boyish clothing. And, I am disgusted by 90% of clothes sold in the Occident for young girls.
On the other side, there is the question of dress regulations for girls in Islamic societies.
I won't discuss elements of the dress requirements.
We're all aware of them.
But I will say this :
both sets of cultures
(the cultures of the Occident that push 'street-walker' styles on girls)
(the cultures of the Orient that push 'cover to the wrists, ankles and eyelids' styles)
both sets of cultures in the Occident and in the Orient, are dictating to girls and women. Control is control.
So, the question is : what, in both cultural sets (Occidental & Oriental) constitute "not controlling"??
Answer :
-creating culture where the sexuality of girls and women is more under the control of those girls and women;
- creating culture where the sexuality of girls and women is less of an issue, and their simple humanity is more of an issue.
The world has just has a fascinating 'play' to watch, as a woman and a Black man vied for the US Presidency.
What happened in the "news" last week?
-every news show, talk show, magazine and radio show was talking about Mrs. Obama's dress!
- every news show, talk show, magazine and radio show was talking about Mrs. McCain's comments about Mrs. Obama.
It was as if, after seeing a woman in the news, "in her pant suit", running for President, gave us women the impression, that, at long last, a woman in the Occident was going to be looked upon as the human being she is; what would meet our eye when first we saw her, or what our ear would hear when first we heard her, was going to, finally, be the humanity of a woman, be she commander in chief, be she VP...
And then, a quick shuffle of the superdelegate vote, and she was no more.
How long did it take for our Occidental culture to slid back to talking about what dress Mrs. Obama wore on a talk show?
About 3 nano seconds.
So, again, I ask :
if Western cultures imprison women in a
jail of too much attention on the body of the woman
if Oriental cultures imprison women in a
mail of too many rules on how much to cover up,
which cultural paradygm is more desirable?
My answer ? And I've lived in the Middle East, and in Europe.
My answer ? : 6 of one; half a dozen of the other.
Translation : different set of rules; same guys are in charge.
And, ballerina, skimpy leotard wearing woman that I am, I'll say this : at least in the Orient, mothers do not stand for their female children dressing up like harlots.
Y a donc ben une place pour toute, sapristie.
There's a time and place for everything, isn't there?
I grew up surrounded by part-Amerindian brothers,
and in a family where men chopping wood and spending time outside bear-chested was a given.
But, when we were to go to town to shop, in the market place where were met strangers, we dressed properly, be we boy or girl in my family.
When I stopped at the boulangerie in France, on the way home from school, to buy the noon-day meal's baguettes, as we entered the shop, we said an automatic "Bonjour Messieurs, Dames".
We acknowledged the human beings occupying space with us, treated them with respect.
As a global culture, we do not know what proper manners are when in public.
But, I am on a tangent. Forgive me.
I give a conclusion to my original thought.
I invite your reaction.
Conclusion
Be we from the East, be we from the West, we need, it seems to me, that we each admit that we are both a little coocoo in the noggen when it comes to how we need to 'control' the sexuality of girls and women.
Both East and West need to let girls and women be human beings, and we both need to let go of a need to control the sexuality of females. Women, as they grow and mature, need the wisdom of mothers and fathers who wish for them a maturity in the exercise of their sexual being. Global culture need to take a sex-education course.
Final word :
Writer, Mark Twain said something about East is East and West is West... His words are true. But, East and West need to meet, sit down, have a conversation, in the presence of a mature counsellor.
And, the world needs to take a sex-ed course.
In a major way.
Your thoughts?
Indie
.
Name:Judith •
Date: 06/26/08 3:50
A: In my opinion, sex education should be taught on a spiritual level as well as a physical level. There are still tribal people in this world who have no problem with that, and they don't ware much.
The importance of beauty and who can show off, has become to important. As a child I put on a simple dress that touched my knees or was just below them, when I got older the dresses got shorter. I found womans pants more comfortable so that's what I ware now. I got used to it and find that comfort is more important to me.
Name:Judith •
Date: 06/26/08 4:39
A: This is an interesting article and has a great deal to do with learning the spirituality of sexuality.
http://www.latimes.com/news/science/la-he-s-ex16-2008jun16,0,6712163.story?track=rss
for- here it is a subject of a female health, and how she is treated .
Name:Judith •
Date: 06/27/08 6:31
A: IndieAnna
These women had a great idea.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/n-ews/2008/06/080617-mosuo-video-ap.html-
Name:sam •
Date: 06/29/08 1:04
A: Dear Indie Anna,
Yesterday, I spent sometime in writing to you, but I lost it because of a power failure.
First, I would like to say thanks you, then I will say that you are a person not only with good knowledge, but a person who has THE WISDOM, the wisdom that many man and woman lacks in our world yesterday and today.
Wisdom does not come only by acquiring/collecting knowledge, but by using, managing, and utilizing the knowledge in a logical & common sense way which make it acceptable to all and benefits all, because if the knowledge became questionable and has no benefits, then there is no wisdom in it, not at all.
"East is East and West is West... His words are true. But, East and West need to meet,"
The east and west in the 20 & 21st century became closer together {we get "fast news" (think fast food).} Also many millions from the east live in the west [China towns, Egyptian restaurant are in New Yourk and London, and on the other side, Mcdonald, westen music and art etc.], and many millions from the east and west are travelling to meet each other every year.
They met already, for sure, and for many years,and they did not EVER meet as equals, and they did not meet seeing each other as parts of one family , and never met honestly to solve their differences and to work together for their well-being, but they met most of the time as adversary, each one try to take advantage from the others [TOTAL GREED] .
Today's people are more educated than ever before, KNOWLEDGE BY THE TONS, and people all around the world became neighbour , but they are STILL DEVIDED as they were been in the dark ages !!!. WHY?.
Because people think that only knowledge can make us more advanced and be better, forgetting that knowledge is like two edge blade, and if we are not careful , then any of those two edges might do harm to us.
There is only one way to be safe in using the knowledge, and that is to understand what is the end results, and we can do that by using the logic and common sense and that is the WISDOM.
First problems from the begining until this time [in general] that our world been run by men who most of the time do not understand the words logic or the common sense while they have a ton of knowledge about history, science, war & peace, etc. The women will be the same as men if they took the place of men and they lacks the wisdom.
Second problem came from the people of religion who came with their own rules and regulations away from the original teachings.
The woman in Jesus time stood beside Him as free woman, they worked hard to teach the people and to spread the message.
The woman in Muhammad time stood beside Him , and they did work with Him side by side {we should not forget that Muhammad was employed and working for a woman }, the women at His time has no vail or hijab, but they dress exactly like the women at Jesus time and the women at Moses and Abraham time, there was no face cover and no mini skirt or pikinies, that is the truth.
The third problem is the extremist, in the east and the west, each one under attack from the others, and the one whom we call moderates are supporting the extremist on their side, in one way or another, and by creating an excuse from one sort or another, and the problem grow, and the gap is widening, and the small problem becomes biger and biger and biger....!!!.
Example: The woman head cover in many Muslim country in the east was in the way to disappear, but it start to came back after the attack from the west. This time and for those women and girls who chose to put the cover again it came by their own choice, and that to show the west that they are Muslims and they are proud to show themselves as Muslims.
Men like Paul, the popes, the bisops, and men like emams, shiekhs, those are the one who brought all the sufferings to the woman, Why?, because they never understood the words logic or common sense, some of their followers they claim that their popes or imam they spoke wisdom, so, for God sake can any one tell where is the wisdom in slaving a woman or kill others who do not agree with them ?.
Let us see where the logic stand in the following: (questions to some men)
Q- Do you love your mother ?.
A- yes,
Q- Do you want to see her hurt ?.
A- of couse not.
Q- Do you love your daughter ?.
A- yes.
Q- Do you want to see her hurt ?.
A- of course not.
Q- Did you know that your mother is a woman and she is the wife of your father, but if you see her hurt , do you stand up to deffend her, since you said you love her?,
and your daughter is a woman and she will be a wife to another man, so do you stand up to deffend her if she was treated badly ?, and you said that you don't like to see her hurt.
Does any one want to see his mother, sister, daughter suffering ?.
Man and woman both were born free, and both are equal in the sight of their creator, and both they have the same rights for happiness.
Those who treated the woman badly are not worsy to be called human. and that is my word.
Man and woman together, and only together, they can build good families, and from the good families comes the great nations.
We hear people talking about their great nation !!!.
Are the nation great because of millions of people, hundreds of universities, big factories, big army with all the wepon that can make ?
there will be no great nation until all the people are equals and treated as equal, man, woman, black and white, and until they illiminate the suffering of the poor, and until they treat the other smaller nation fairly and with respect.
God bless you.
Name:QuebecIndieAnna •
Date: 07/16/08 11:14
A: .
.
Title of this post :
HOW FATHER'S IMPART WISDOM TO DAUGHTERS
WITH RESPECT TO SEXUALITY
IN VARIOUS CULTURES OF THE WORLD.
.
Wednesday, July 15th, 2008 06h40
Good morning Sam, Judith.
Thank you both for your contributions to Halters and Hijabs.
Judith, I could not find the pages with the links you provided.
Perhaps they are expired...
Sam, as usual, wise and broad-experience Mediterranean Torontonian man that you are, you bring, in your post, elements that complete the human picture. Thank you. Your posts are always written with your heart. Judith's point is well taken, that there are, in this world, tribal people having little problem respecting women's right to be chief deciders in how they harness their sexual beings, who do not ware much at all. I am remindedl my own Native North American familial cultural strain, and my birth family's habit of heading straight for the cabin in the woods at every opportunity while I was growing up, and being surrounded by bare-chested brothers and father.
I wish to share how I think (impression) my Dad imparted wisdom to me, as a girl, regarding sexuality.
I will invoke a scene in a movie, where a father is speaking to a daughter about how to wisely choose a man to love.
The movie is CAPTAIN CORELLI'S MANDOLIN, staring John Hurt (the father), Penelope Cruz (the daughter), Christian Bale (the suitor the father does not want for his daughter), Nicolas Cage (the suitor the wise father does like).
The story is filmed on the Greek Island of Kephalonia, where the story is also set, in the years 1940 to 1947.
The 2nd World War is underway when the movie begins, but Greece is not yet officially at war.
In 1940, Italian troop, under Hitlerian command, approach the northern border of Greece, via Albania, 8000 Greek Partisans march to northen Greece, where they push back 14000 Italian soldiers.
In 1941 Hitler responds by sending joint German and Italian troups to occupy Greece. Greece is now in the war.
In 1943, Mussolini is put in jail and the Americans and Brits set up shop in Rome. Mid-war, Italy goes from being 'on the side of Germany', to being a 'conquered' nation. Italian troops in Greece rejoice at the thought of the war being over, at least for them...
The best, best, BEST, expression of father-wisdom to a daughter regarding the wise harnessing of sexuality I have seen on film, is the minute or so of dialogue, between Pelagia (Penelope Cruz), and her father (John Hurt), during which the father guides his precious child to distinguish. FOR HERSELF, the difference between "falling in love", and "sharing a life of love" with a life-long spouse.
My Dad did not express, in words, what the character of the father does in this movie. But, in silent ways, I think he communicated such to me.
My prayer is that global culture will achieve such respect of freedom between male parent and female child.
Indie, on a quiet summer morning in Quebec
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Name:Judith •
Date: 07/16/08 19:52
A: Hello IndiAnna
I think you can find that link in "Anthropology in the News TAMU" that is Texas University and it was about a culture of "Women Rule" and is being destroyed by Chinese now or was destroyed. But is seemed to me like a really great idea. The women there apparently never married and stayed with the mother. The man never married and was not allowed to stay with the wife, sounds strange, but they claimed they never cheated and that the father never lost that first infatuation of that relationship with that one and only women. Hope you find it, for it is difficult for me to narate it. It is an ancient way of life now being ruined and they are not to happy about it.
Name:Judith •
Date: 07/17/08 3:39
A: June 17, 2008—In the matriarchal Mosuo culture of southwestern China, women own property and determine family relationships. But this so-called free-love society is under threat from modernization.
Chinas Kingdom of Women on Anthropology in the News TAMU
Name:Sassy •
Date: 07/18/08 20:11
A: Uproar Over Ruling Against Muslim Woman
CBC News
Posted: 07/17/08
Islamic groups in France are criticizing a recent court decision to deny
citizenship to a fully veiled Muslim woman deemed unable to assimilate into French society because of her faith.
The ruling, delivered last month by France's highest administrative court,
upheld immigration officials' refusal to grant citizenship to a woman, dubbed Faiza X in the court document, because of her religious beliefs. While the decision has solicited wide approval from politicians across France, others point to it as a sign of intolerance.
"Where does it begin or end; what we are calling radical behaviour?" asked Mohammed Bechari, president of the National Federation of French Muslims. "Will we see a man refused citizenship because of the length of his beard … or a man who is dressed as a rabbi, or a priest?"
The Council of State's June 27 ruling made no mention of the woman's niqab, a veil worn by some Muslim women that covers the face with only a slit left open for the eyes, which she reportedly began wearing after moving to France from Morocco.
A report from a French government commissioner submitted to the council said the woman told officials she was unaware of her right to vote, and would only remove her veil after men left the room.
"She lives in total submission to the men in her family ... and the idea of
contesting this submission doesn't even occur to her," the government report said. Faiza X and her husband told immigration officials they were followers of Salafism, a form of the Islamic faith.
The council ultimately ruled against Faiza X, saying that while its goal was not to attack the woman's religion, she had "adopted a radical practice of her religion incompatible with the essential values of the French community, notably with the principle of equality of the sexes, and therefore she does not fulfill the conditions of assimilation" listed in the country's Civil Code as a requirement for gaining French citizenship.
An estimated five million of France's 63 million people are Muslim. In 2004, the country banned religious symbols in public schools, including Islamic headscarves.
France's minister for urban affairs, Fadela Amara, has spoken in favour of the recent ruling in media reports. A daughter of Algerian parents, Amara condemned the niqab as a sign "of a totalitarian political project preaching inequality between the sexes," according to an interview published in the daily Le Parisien."
I agree with France's decision. Too bad North America doesn't follow suit. When, on rare occasions I see a woman all covered from head to toe in black with just eyes peeping out - especially in this hot weather - I just pity them. Given the choice, I'd rather dress as a 'street walker' than wear the hijab! I think it's more liberating to dress as a 'slut' than be covered head to toe in a 'woman-be-ashamed-and-cover-totally-up' monkey suit.
Name:Judith •
Date: 07/18/08 20:17
A: Hello Sassy
"Where does it begin or end; what we are calling radical behaviour?"
I really don't know, but I was told by a neighbor who went to the Middle East that she was forced to ware a head scarf and hide her face as well. Not having been there my self , it would be hard to back up. I am a US citizen, and I have the belief that each country has to opperate the way they feel comfortable without warfair, and the only solution would be for me to remain in the country I was born in.
Name:Judith •
Date: 07/18/08 20:33
A: Indiana
FOR HERSELF, the difference between "falling in love", and "sharing a life of love" with a life-long spouse.
Thank you for your compliments , and many in this chat are well diserved of them.
I did not have parents, and when I met the man I am married to now, I knew he was merily ingatuated. I told him that would ware off. I did not want to marry any one who could not determine that difference.
I think he gave that careful consideration.
I only knew that because I had been married before, and that didn't work.
It would have been nice to have had a father or mother there to help me the first time. And it was good advice even if it was just a movie.
Name:sam •
Date: 07/20/08 0:26
A: Dear Judith,
You friend told you......."I was told by a neighbor who went to the Middle East that she was forced to ware a head scarf and hide her face as well".
And you bring her story here to be read by many....and many will believe that is true thing!!!.
FIRST, for your information , the Middle East countries : "The modern definition of the region includes:
Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, the Palestinian territories, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. Egypt, with its Sinai Peninsula in Asia, is considered part of the Middle East."
As you see here, there are 17 countries in the Middle East. Please ask your NEIGHBOR if she visited all these countries , and in which country been forced to put a [head cover *] and a face cover?.
Two days ago, while shopping we saw two Nuns dressing in black COVERING THEIR HEADS, and all their bodies, and all what you see is their beautiful faces, my wife said, "hardly we see those Nun, I think the time will come when they are gone, that is a shame".
When we look at those Nuns, we do not see any wrong by covering their bodies and their heads but in the contrary we see them as pure women which deserve our respect and admiration.
And while many of the Muslims women dress in sort of similar code of dressing the Christians look at them as if they are wrong !!!.
The face cover did not come from the teaching of Islam {the Quran}, but people created many wrong thing, and that hapen with all other religions.
Not all tha Afaghan women wear face cover, but that done by some tribes and in certain areas, and the same can be said about the Saudi Arabia.
There are million of women, European, American Asian, and others tourists who vist Egypt, Jordan , Syria , Libanon, Kuwait, the Emerat and others [families] who work and live there and other places in the Middle East and they were not forced of covering their faces.
God bless you.
Name:Judith •
Date: 07/20/08 8:48
A: Blessings to you to Sam
My neighbor moved away or I would ask her where she was in the middle east. I know it was not India, Malasia, Afganistan, Pakistan. But I don't recall exactly were.
I heard that recently 3,000 young women entered in to the Nunery, or became Nun's recently within the last year. It was in the News a few months ago.
Name:sam •
Date: 07/22/08 0:00
A: Dear Sassy,
"Islamic groups in France are criticizing a recent court decision to deny
citizenship to a fully veiled Muslim woman deemed unable to assimilate into French society because of her faith. "
Covering the woman face is a "BIDAA" and that mean it came not from the teaching of the Quran or the prophet, but it came from some stupid Imam or shiekh etc.
Me and my wife [and among all the Muslim families which we knew] when we see a woman covering her face , always we feel very sorry for her, but we always say, " HOW THOSE PEOPLE GET THEIR VISA AND ENTERED THE COUNTRY?"
Does everyone has to have a picture for his/her face on the passport? TO ENTER THE COUNTRY ???.
As for us and the many Muslims around us, we feel that those families who force their women to cover their faces, should not be allowed to stay in France or any other country who respect the woman rights, and they should be sent back to the place which they come from originally.
God bless you.
Name:Judith •
Date: 07/22/08 5:08
A: Hi Sam
That is an excelant point. How do they get that Visa ? You do have to have a photo Identifacation.
Blessings
Name:QuebecIndieAnna •
Date: 07/22/08 13:01
A: .
.
Hi Sassy, hi Sam.
Permission to join your exchange?
As a young primary school child in the NE of France in the late 60s,
I remember well the teacher from the next classroom over
coming to talk to my teacher in my classroom.
The teacher was very animated and very angry at something
she'd been ordered to do by the school directress :
- the teacher from the class over from mine wore a gold cross around her neck; she'd been formally told by the Directrice to take the cross off;
the teacher had slipped her chain inside her blouse, to where the cross was not visible. When, a few days later, while wearing a V-neck blouse, the cross was again visible, the teacher had been ordered to remove the chain from her neck, on the spot. A few days later, I once again heard the two teachers in conversation : a longer chain had been bought and I saw her pull it out from under her clothing and show the cross to my teacher. Forty years ago.
The Révolution Française truly anihilated a lot of Catholicism from French culture. With the perspective I now have, the perspective of being a woman who mostly grew up in very Catholic Quebec Canada, who has a degree in theology (a lot of history courses...), and who frequented a primary school in France near a Canadian Air Base,
I read and hear about France's headstrongness with respect to Muslim wear, and I barely blink, because I know that France is France.
Religion is something France fought hard to eradicate from its collective unconscious in the late 1800s.
A history course taken here, during my studies in Theology, on the history of Catholicism in Quebec between 1600 to the present day,
given by a man who has spent his whole life researching a comparison between France and Quebec religious history,
was a kind of ping-ponging between the two countries.
My professor would cover 20 years of history in France at the beginning of each class, then we'd do 40 minutes on what was happening in Quebec during the corresponding years. It was a course that lasted an entire university year, 90 hours.
Quebec stayed very Catholic long after the Révolution in France in 1789.
Quebec's revolution, in the 1960s, was dubbed the quiet revolution (Révolution Tranquille)... Another story...
But, my point? France's secularism is not 20 or 40 years old.
It is 220 years old. It is now evident to historians that Catholicism survived in France due to women and their dogged protection of priests, followed, after priest were murdered, by women taking over the roles of priest in outlying villages and towns, celebrating mass in their homes.
Catholicism in France survives today because of women.
But, the République is adamant about religion, and all signs of it, staying out of its institutions.
Sam, once again, thank you for your enumeration of countries in North Africa and the Middle East, to bring home the point that
Egyptians and Saudis
are NOT close culturally,
less so than a
New Englander and a Texan,
and many know who different New Englanders are from Texans.
Bonne journée all.
Good day all.
Indie
.
Name:QuebecIndieAnna •
Date: 07/22/08 13:26
A: .
.
France's history with Mulims.
Sam, can you help me ot on this one?
I intuitively know that France and North Africa have a long history (partiularly France and Algeria)...
But, going back as far as DeGaule, weren't France and the US alwys very critical of one another's foreign policies? After the 2nd WW, with the Marshall Plan and the commitmen by the US to help Europe rebuild, giving it tractors, wheat, money..., it seems to me that DeGaule was adamant about sending the US the strong message that the US would not dictate Fance's foreign policies.
After 9/11, was the US notcritical of France's decision to not participate in the invasion of Iraq? Oh, gosh, I've been so engrossed in the the past years with my own little life that I am not so informed anymore.
But, it seems to me that France has never stopped bucking the US on every possible foreign policy decision the US has made.
And, it seems to me, that when talk have involved Western Europeans talking with Arab Muslim state representative, the French fare better in pour-parlés (talks) than do Brits and Yanks, precisely because of France's close presence in North Africa for so many years.
If once I was an amateure historianne, I sure am far from it now.
But, my point being that when France and Muslims mix it up,
it must be kept in mind that France and Muslims have been mixing it up for a long time, much longer than the rest of us.
What might, on a page-1 of a newspaper, abouty France-Musim relationtions, seem like really sensational news,
upon closer scrutiny, is often the 'same old-same old'.
Indie.
.
Name:QuebecIndieAnna •
Date: 07/22/08 13:31
A: .
.
P.S.
And, I do believe that the only American that DeGaule liked, was Jaqueline Bouvier (Kennedy), because she'd lived in Paris as a young woman, spoke French, had read every word Charles had ever spoken and she knew how to talk to him. But, he didn't care much for her husband.
Indie
.
Name:sam •
Date: 07/23/08 0:37
A: Dear Indie Anna,
You said:
"What might, on a page-1 of a newspaper, abouty France-Musim relationtions, seem like really sensational news,
upon closer scrutiny, is often the 'same old-same old'. "
I say:
"What might, on page 1 of any newspaper, about the western [Christians]-Muslim relations, seem like really sensational news, upon closer scrutiny, IS OFTEN THE 'SAME OLD-SAME OLD'."
If we look closely to the history, we will find that countries in Europe, in general, and in the past, built mainly around LANGUAGES.
England [English], France [Frensh], Spain [Spanish] etc. etc..... The relation between them changes according to their policies about gains , more power, more land , more control .
Once a country is an enemy for many years, that might change to became more friend and after hundred of thousands lose their life {policy}.
If it wasn't for the French support, the great United state might still a colony for Great Britain. The American forget all that and they forget that the statue of liberty which stand high in New York, came from France, but when the French refuse to assist them in their war against Iraq !!!. The Americans were against the Frensh, and even against the FRENCH FRIES, beside many other stupid things.
The Goverment changed in France, and so their policies, that became more like the Americans today. And Russia the frend yesterday became close to bocome an enemy today.
I did mention the LANGUAGES, which play sometimes a part in the countries policies, but we should not forget the RELIGION which sometimes play it is part in the policy of any country. This is a fact even they try to hide it.
President Bush, as others in other countries, had a special [REV] to advice him, and the desision to go to war in Iraq came as an advice from the religious figure {that was mentioned in the time magazine & at the CNN}.
A glimpse at the history:
Following its conquest of Ottoman controlled Algeria in 1830, for well over a century France maintained colonial rule in the territory which has been described as "quasi-apartheid".[10] The colonial law of 1865 allowed Arab and Berber Algerians to apply for French citizenship only if they abandoned their Muslim identity; Azzedine Haddour argues that this established "the formal structures of a political apartheid".
This "internal system of apartheid" met with considerable resistance from the Muslims affected by it, and is cited as one of the causes of the 1954 insurrection.
"Algerians to apply for French citizenship only if they abandoned their Muslim identity"
What happen in Algeria, already happen in Spain, in South Africa, In North America and in the South, and in many other part of the world, all that was because in almost most of the western countries are rulled by the churches. and no president or king can be free from them, because they are the rullers then and now, {In the president ellection in the US you can see that very clear}.
Today CTV news:
"Former Bosnian Serb President Radovan Karadzic -- the alleged mastermind behind the deadly siege of Sarajevo and mass killings of Muslims during the 1992-1995 Bosnian war -- was arrested by military troops in a Belgrade suburb on Monday. Karadzic , was hiding out in mountain caves and monasteries !!!!."
We can see that the churches who helped him in the mass killing of the Muslims, helped him for twelve years to escape !!!.
IF THE WORLD, EAST AND WEST, CAN BRING ITSELF AWAY FROM THE RABBIS, POPES, IMAMS AND PRISTS, AND KEEP THOSE IN THEIR PLACE TO WORK FOR GOD AND WORSHIP HIM ONLY THEN OUR WORLD WILL BE MUCH BETTER PLACE TO LIVE IN.
My question, Is the religion and the teaching which came from God , came for the human benefits or for his distructuions?.
The people who seem to be smart are so stupid that they do not understand the simple things, and that to differentiate the results that comes from the love & hate and peace & war.
God bless you.
Name:QuebecIndieAnna •
Date: 07/23/08 4:42
A: .
.
Dear Sam,
Thank you so much for your post. I read it with interest.
I did not realise the Algerians had revolted as early as 1954.
When I was living in France, the 2nd Vatican Council was wrapping up, and the news papers spoke of Algeria a lot.
I remember some of my little friends would use the term 'Pieds Noirs' to refer to French nationals who'd emmigrated from Algeria and settled in France in the 60s. I never understood the term. Does it refer to black shoes?
The individuals who were pointed at by my primary school classmates and called Pieds Noirs, looked Algerian (North African).
I never understood the term, or its origin.
Again, thank you for your post.
Indie
.
Name:QuebecIndieAnna •
Date: 07/23/08 4:55
A: .
.
CINQ FEMMES D'ÉGYPTE (Five Women from Egypt)
A few years ago, I taped on French TV here in Quebec (Canada) a documentary with the above title, which was filmed exchanges between four Egyptian women.
All were university educated. All had lived through the years of hope brought by the agricultural reforms and the building of the Aswan dam on the Nile. All had been militant. All had been in prison together.
It was absolutely amazing!
One of the women was US educated, and evolved in her Muslin faith to a more radical stance after living in the US.
One woman, a moderate Muslim, had lost her husband (assassinated) during the agrarian reforms...
The third woman was a devout Catholic.
The last, though admiting a kind of faith in some greater power,
believed in Marxist socialism.
The women were long-time friends, did not agree on how to acheive goals, but had been united in the pursuit of common goals.
If you ever have occasion to watch this fascinating peek into the intellectual world of Egyptian women, don't miss it.
Indie
.
Name:QuebecIndieAnna •
Date: 07/23/08 4:58
A: .
Ha ha! Obviously, I mean "Quatre" (four) (4), not "Cinq" (five) (5), in the title of the post just above.
Indie
.
Name:sam •
Date: 07/24/08 0:06
A: Hello, Indie Anna,
Thank you,
As for, "the term 'Pieds Noirs' to refer to French nationals who'd emmigrated from Algeria and settled in France in the 60s. I never understood the term. Does it refer to black shoes?"
NO.
Some information:
"The often brutal fighting, stretching across much of the country for nearly eight years, disrupted or emptied many rural villages. The deliberate French policy of resettlement of rural populations gathered more than 2 million villagers in Frenchbuilt fortified settlements under a {do you remember the Indian settlements in America?} regroupement program. The total number of Algerians displaced by the war cannot be accurately known, but Algerian authorities place the figure at more than 3 million permanently or temporarily moved. In 1965 about 2 million people remained in the centers. By 1972 their numbers had decreased markedly and some of the centers closed; several centers, however, became permanent settlements. " NOTE: The information regarding Algeria on this page is re-published from The Library of Congress Country Studies and the CIA World Factbook.
The French, not only occupied Algeria, but they did steal their best land and gave it to the French [settlers] who came to Algeria {the same happen in America}, and they regarded Algeria at one time as part of France [French state].
---"Algeria's population included more than 1 million French-European settlers and 150,000 Jews. [The fiqures might come to 2 millions] at that
time that was about 12% + of the population] More than 80% of the 75,000 remaining foreigners left the country * "
* Those are the , " French nationals who'd emmigrated from Algeria and settled in France in the 60s," whom before emmigrated to Algeria before and stole the Algirian land, but they were defeated and run away. The term 'Pieds Noirs' {black feet} represent those French who walked into Algeria [the black continent- Algeria is a part of Africa], and lost the war to the African Algerian. The French were ashaimed to see them lose to the African !!!!.
The Algerian strugle for many years to get their independence, and they pay a high price for it [more than 2 millions killed and many, many villages destroyed or burned to the ground, and many Algerian forced to go to France to work as chip laborer, it was the policy to take as many Algerian away and replace them by French people.
The same policies been used by the US and England and the Dutch around the world.
The same policy are used today by the Israelies, and with the help of the French, the English and the US, and supported by all the Christian countries in the east and west.
Question: WHY THEY DO HATE THE MUSLIMS?, AND THE MUSLIMS NEVER ATACKED THEM SINCE THE TIME WHEN THEY RULED SPAIN. THE MUSLIMS BROUGHT A LOT OF GOOD THINGS TO SPAIN AND SAVE THE LIVES OF THE CHRISTIAN AND THE JEWS WHO SUFFERED A LOT FROM THE CHURCHES , [THE INQUISISIONS].
"six people were burned alive. The sermon was given by the same Alonso de Hojeda whose suspicions had given birth to the Inquisition".....
Obama today, he talk about making peace between the Israelite and the Palestinians, and he promes his total support to Israel [he is after the support of the Jews. that means the Jews are the one who put a president for the American , and not the American --that is fact known for many years], but he did not talk about the Palestinan rights !!!, their land where stolen and they been living as refugees for so long , while more Russians are coming to steal more of their land, all that under the eyes of the United Nations, and by the support of Bush , and Obama and Mcain , those who talk a lot about freedom, and equalities etc.....
The question: DO THEY DIFFER FROM HITLER OR STALIN OR THE SERB PRESIDENT RADOVAN KARADZIC ???.
God bless you.
Name:QuebecIndieAnna •
Date: 07/24/08 1:48
A: .
.
Hi Sam.
Thank you for your reply.
I'll address two points : the question of Palestine; and just check to see if I understand the term Pieds Noirs correctly.
Palestine : with me, you're preaching to the choir with respect to Palestine. (Do you understand that expression? Preaching to the choir? It means discussing something with a person who is of the same opinion as you.) So, yes, with respect to Palestine, I applaud the stance that former President Jimmy Carter has taken, when he openly says that US foreign policy is flawed when it comes to Israel and Palestine.
This web site, its raison d'être, its reason for being, is the re-evaluation of archaeology of ancient Jewish civilisation. That the man who generated interest in the tomb is ...a) Jewish, ... and b) seemingly respectful of the religious traditions of others, is the reason why I feel there is some value in there being a Jewish State. But I generally have a very hard time with how Israel fences Palestinians away and keeps them from enjoying the land they and their ancestors grew up on...
The divisiveness of religion will continue as long as minds continue to insist on absolute litteral interpretation of ancient writings (be they Jew, Christian or Muslim).
Sam, have you ever seen the movie THE BODY? With Spanish actor Antonio Banderas? You would have a field day with that movie, Sam !
Man, would I love to hear your reaction to it.
It illustrates well the religious triangle that is Jerusalem.
Pieds Noirs.
So, if I understand you correctly, they are the descedants of French colonists who settled in Algeria when France 'walked into' Algeria?
And, when Algerian nationalism blossomed in the 50s, in the wake of other nationalist movements, those French-Algerians got the boot?
Would that explain why the people pointed to by my primary school friends, in France, and called Pieds Noirs, LOOKED North African?
Looked Mediterranean?
Indie
.
.
Name:sam •
Date: 07/24/08 23:10
A: Hi, Indie Anna,
About " the movie THE BODY", I cannot recall that name, me and my wife we watch a movie nearly every night, except if we are away traveling. We do get a lot of them from the libraries aroud us [7 libraries in our town 'Mississauga'] I will try to look for 'THE BODY' soon.
Last night we watched "MAN ON FIRE --Denzel Washington (2004)"
It is a true story about "assassination" of a rich girl in Mexico.
The film started by saying "EVERY 60 MINUTES THERE IS AN ASSASSINATION IN LATIN AMERICA". And it end with the real names
of the people [policemen criminal] and how it ended in 6 june 2003.
On CNN news an hour ego they been talking about the drug lords and the mafia on both borders of Mexico & the US.
Seeing the movie after, and how one good man can brake down a big ring of criminals alone, I wonder how cannot be possible that a country like the US who can defeat a country like Iraq and their big army , be defeated by few drug lords !!!!!!!!!!.
"Preaching to the choir?" ...... there is a say in Arabic , "talk with you , so that the neighbor will listen".
Me and you we share our thoghts on this forums, there is a part of my thoughts and my knowledge brought in for the others to listen to {always in mind that there is someone who open that window and understand the truth of things}.
Dear Indie Anna, we live in a world [the 21st century] in which the media in all different forms play a big role in our life in the policies that control our world for better or worse. The media in the west is very strong and can turn any head around no matter how smart those heads are.
One example "the Media gave a picture about Iraq and how strong it is army is/was, they say that Iraq has the 4th biggest army in the world, and posses a lot of M/D weapon, all the media in the west joined hand until their people believed that is the truth, and that is a stupid thing to do.
NO LOGIG. Did the people use their brain !!!, US -1, Russia-2 , England- 3, France- 4-, Germany- 5 China- 6, India- 7........and so many others who have bigger armies and produce weapon [plane tanks, rockets, bombs, etc. etc. And Iraq never produce not even a car without the help of one of those big nations.
The media shows us the suffering of the Jews every day 24/7/365 days
and hardly bring the truth about the suffering of the Palestinians. [the others should wake up and listen]
QUESTION: who run the media in the US, England, Australia.... the CNN & FOX ..... who put the American president on chair in the white house????.
There comes once that an honest president like Jimmy Carter , or Bill Clinton who stood for pease and equal rights.
And we should not forget Yitzhak Rabin, the man with a great vision, whom I do respect very much.
" Israeli police charged seven other men -- five of them Orthodox religious students -- with conspiring to kill Rabin. The New York Times said they were part of a secretive, lethal, "deeply religious underground movement" -- and the murder may have been mandated by a holy order from a right-wing rabbi. "
People will think that few students and some rabbi were the killer of such a great man, NO, NO, it is the whole government of Israel were behind Rabin killing. They never wated peace, but they look for more wars and more land, and that is the truth. [the others should listen]
God bless you.
Name:QuebecIndieAnna •
Date: 08/07/08 3:30
A: .
Wenesday evening, Aug 6th, 2008
Hi Sam.
Thank you for your post.
I re-read other parts of your messages above as well.
The other day you quoted from Canada's CTV news.
"Today CTV news:
' Former Bosnian Serb President Radovan Karadzic
-- the alleged mastermind behind the deadly siege of Sarajevo and mass killings of Muslims during the 1992-1995 Bosnian war --
was arrested by military troops in a Belgrade suburb on Monday. Karadzic , was hiding out in mountain caves and monasteries !!!!. '
Sam, I saw the televised inditement of Karadzic. They said he will serve as his own defence in the procedings for his war crimes against Muslim populations in former Yugoslavia.
It gave me chills to watch the short broadcast.
I still shake when I think of the hatred human beings can have for others which leads to murder of perfect strangers.
is- the website for a short (20 minutes) program that airs in Quebec on Sunday afternoons.
The July 6th episode spoke of an Immam who lives in British Columbia, who is the kind of holy man I would welcome in any Christian church, to hear him talk about his faith.
The movie you mention (Man On Fire), with Denzel Washington : I had seen the movie, but did not realise it was based on a true story. Ha! Your point is well taken, that is seems strange that the US can wage war against Irak, yet is powerless against a few drug lords. Ha.
I say 'Ha', but it is not so funny.
Arabic expressions :
I like learning about expressions in other languages.
Thank you for telling me about an Arabic expression.
Idioms are such a vital part of culture, hard to translate, because they are so tied to the land and the life of individuals of a time and place.
You spoke about the slant of the media.
Interesting subject.
Did you see the PBS airing of the documentary by Bill Moyers entitled "Buying the War" ?
This documentary discusses how the media moguls dances to the tune of those in office, because they depend on federal money.
Phil Donahue had a talk show, which was cancelled at a time when his opinions on the decision to invade Iraq was not what the higher-ups wanted to hear. Phil Donahue's comments in particular, in Bill Moyers' documentary, "Buying The War", were very upsetting, because I wish he was still on the air.
There are so many mind numbing talk shows on TV.
Phil Donahue's was one that made one think.
The media machine in the US seems to do whatever is needed to
keep the population as dumb as can be.
Many Americans don't let their minds go to mush, and they stay informed anyway, despite the mind-control effect of many news broadcasts.
But, the Phil Donahues and the Tim Russerts of the world are taken from the viewing public far too often.
In the remaining days of my summer break, I am transfering to DVD a lot of programs I was keeping on VHS. It is a lot of work, but worth it, to hang on to good programs I've taped over the years.
CBS began a TV series one spring, that was not picked up in the Fall line-up of regular programs : the program aired only from Jan to May of 2002.
I found a couple of episodes on my old VHS cassettes.
The program was entitled "First Monday".
It related, in drama form, different events in the life of the US Supreme Court.
The cast was amazing (James Garner, Charles Durning...)
But, alas, the show did not continue the following season.
Such a shame.
When they finally put something on TV worth watching, it doesn't last.
Well, I'll stop here.
Hope you are well, and your family too.
We're getting so much rain this year, I'll need a boat pretty soon. :)
Later,
Indie
.
Name:QuebecIndieAnna •
Date: 08/08/08 15:29
A: .
Friday, August 8th, 2008
In the year 2000 (I think), I pushed a VHS cassette into my VCR machine and hit 'Record'. The TV was on the PBS channel.
The documentary "Not For Ourselves Alone" was on.
I never got around to watching the program.
Yesterday, I pushed the old cassette into the VCR and hit 'Play'; I placed a blank DV disk into my recorder and hit 'Record'. I sat down and began watching the documentary.
When the program ended, the narrator said 'End Of Part One'.
I frantically shuffled through my mountain of old VHS cassettes.
There it was : "Not For Ourselves Alone : Part 2".
Relieved, I put it in the machine, hit play on one machine, hit record on the other machine and went for my walk.
Con't... below. Indie
.
Name:QuebecIndieAnna •
Date: 08/08/08 15:44
A: .
... con't from above.
How did the documentary come about?
The man editing the PBS "Civil War" documentary, in his free time was reading book reviews in a magazine. A book caught his attention. He obtained a copy. It was about the life of
Elisabeth Cady Stanton.
As he read the book, he continued his editing work on the Civil War documentary. He shared with his film-maker boss what he was learning on the life of Stanton.
The two men determined to do a documentary on the life of Stanton.
While researching for the project, they came to understand that Stanton's work was intertwined with that of another woman named
Susan B. Anthony.
The documentary would tell the tale of the 50-year friendship of the 2 women and their life-long efforts to gain for US women the right to vote.
Their efforts would be marked by the American Civil War, the freeing of slaves, the raising of family, court cases, endless lecturing trips, and presenting of petitions to legislatures.
The two women would die without seeing the right to vote be given to women. But those who followed in their footsteps would cause no less than an amendment to the US Constitution in order that the vote be given to women.
As I watched Part 2 of the documentary this morning, I tried to remember all I know about my Glasgow-born, mid-wife grand-mother, and I did my best to understand
the life and times of Elisabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony.
May their names be not forgotten,
may their work be properly written into the history books, is my prayer.
Indie
.
Name:QuebecIndieAnna •
Date: 08/08/08 16:20
A: .
The story of editing that made me cry.
Hello again Friends.
Above, I recount my VHS to DVDs discoveries.
Allow me to share about the editing story that made me cry.
We all have made things with our hands : a house, a dress, assembled a bike, a cake. We lay out the parts, the ingredients, and skillfully put them together for the final product.
But what of the editor?
What of the editor who is trying to bring to life the being of a human being dead and buriied?
The film maker of the above mentioned documentary about Stanton & Anthony, describes moments of surrealims in the editing room, during the creation of his documentary.
But, think of it : one person takes a quote from a book, another a photograph from archives, another a clip of a black & white news report of the 1920s; then, another sits and writes the words of a narrator, the story teller.
Then, each sources is committed to video or sound.
Then, the editor sits at her machine ; she cuts, she splices, she glues together the bits of picture, and quote, and clip and narration.
Then she rewinds the footage.
Then she hits play.
A moment in time comes to life.
History is resurrected.
The life of a dead person is made alive again.
Such is the miracle of editing, of piecing together the bits and pieces of information about a person's life. History comes alive.
A miracle happens.
We see into the past.
We understand the present.
We direct our gaze forward.
I am moved by those who bring the past to life again, for me to learn from.
Indie
.
Name:QuebecIndieAnna •
Date: 04/12/09 13:31
A: .
Sunday, April 12th 2009
Hello Friends.
In the news this past week has been the legislation regarding "wifely duties" of women in Afghanistan (law signed by president Hamid Karzai).
In the posts above on this page called 'Occidental Halters & Oriental Hijabs', I make the point that we Occidentals often rush in to paste our Occidental value onto cultures in other parts of the world that have been around for 1000s of years more than our prête-à-porter cultures.
I am amazed that in the recent coverage of the new 'law', no sociologists of note have bothered to jump into the debate and at least try to explain that stages of evolution of male and female roles go through between
the nomad stage of society
and
the big city stage of society.
Cultures are barrelling into each other at the speed of light and
no one, it seems, is saying
'Hold on! Let's talk about how male and female role assignation
is determined in large part by the evolution from
nomad
to
sedentary seed gatherer
to
village
to
-
town
to
city.
Th-e- media, journalists, supposedly, have gone to school.
No?
What are the requirements now for graduating from journalism school?
Should journalist not be required now to have a minimum of
anthropological sens in their brains?
Margaret Mead, decades ago, showed us how to approach other cultures. Why to we put cameras and microphones in the hands of anthropologically challenged new reporters?
I'm not saying there should not be outrage at the law passed regarding wifely duties. But, why is it that we all pretend that nomad to big city transition and the evolution in male-female roles did not take,
in our own societies,
decades, centuries even,
to transpire?
Indie
.
Name:QuebecIndieAnna •
Date: 04/02/13 1:01
A: .
Easter Monday, April 1st 2013
I'd like to confess that I am weary of hearing people discuss homosexuality.
I'd like to confess that I am weary of hearing about the sex scandals in the church, amongst politicians, in schools.
I'd like to confess that I am sick of hearing about celebrities write books about how they were molested when they were young.
I'd like to hear more about well-ajusted adults who learn how to respect and cherish one another.
We rented the movie "This is 40". I listened to the entire Special Feature commentary by Judd Apatow, the film's writer, co-producer and director. His wife and children star in the movie.
The dialogue is raw. The humour is real. But, it is in listening to Apatow's commentary that one hears the voice of a human being who stands back for once and looks at human sexuality and tries to see the humanity in it, who tries to see
that it is a place of shared power and responsibility,
that once a couple has children, the sexiest thing one can do for a spouse is
take out the garbage,
fix the bike,
change the oil,
call the dentist,
bring home burgers and fries as a surprise,
go to bed to s l e e p
get up to make the lunches
put the wet clothes in the drier
leave a post-it on the mirror with a smiley face
buy new shoe laces for a member of the family before they ask you to
change the roll of toilet paper
put the cap back on the tube of tooth paste
floss in order to save thousands of dollars
do the dishes
do the dishes
do the dishes
cook
cook
cook
smile
say 'Good morning'
say 'Have a nice day'
say 'Want a shoulder massage?'
find a silly joke to tell
then say 'Nite, nite' with joy in your voice.
Indie
.
Name:QuebecIndieAnna •
Date: 07/03/16 12:01
A: .
Sunday, July 3rd 2016
.
.
Ha, ha, ha! Well: One father made me really laugh.
He had asked his funny, delightful, silly daughter to "tone down" the pictures she was posting of herself on social media. After repeated efforts to get a bright young woman to stop imitating a trend in popular culture of teens in North America, a trend that has female teens posting pictures of themselves with heavy doses of makeup, pursed lips & skimpily clothed, this father did something :
- he did not take his minor daughter's phone away;
- he did not take his minor daughter's computer away;
- he did not yell or scream at her.
No.
Instead, he went to a lot of trouble to don outfits that meticulously copied what his daughter was wearing. He put make-up on that mirrored his daughter's make-up. He drew tattoos on his skin that copy those of his daughter's. He also went to great pains to reproduce the same background of his daughter's social media photos. Then, he posted the hilarious pictures of himself on social media.
Whereas his daughter is a this, pretty teen, this dad is portly.
Whereas his daughter's midriff is flat and slim, his is definitely not!
The pictures of the father went viral.
News agencies then sought out the father and daughter to ask them for interviews. First the father. Then the daughter.
The interviews reveal that an important part of this family's culture is humour. Yes. Gentle, affectionate chiding and humour. In fact, the father's silliness and affection for his child seems to also be part of the personality of his delightful teenage daughter.
As my other post on this page attest to, which I created EIGHT YEARS AGO, I once expressed my own frustration when shopping (in department stores in North America), that my tall, female child, for whom I could find clothing that fit her ONLY IN THE YOUNG TEEN section of stores, often only had a choice between revealing clothing and VERY revealing clothing. My child was 7 & 8 years old when I found myself arguing and almost screaming at department store managers, because I felt that the only clothing available for young girls in North America, was fit for street walkers!
It got to the point of my daughter begging me, when back-to-school shopping rolled around each August, to "not make a scene in stores" when I got upset at the dismal choice of clothing for young girls in North American department stores.
Here I am, eight years later, nodding my head in agreement with a father who also feels helpless when he sees how the North American fashion industry supports the hyper-sexualization of female children and young teens.
A wise father, with humour and caring in his heart, somehow managed to poke all of North America in the shoulder and, with gentle wisdom, say:
"Hey, silly people! Get real! DON'T follow an asinine, ridiculous, human-dignity-robbing, imbecile fashion trends, that are pushed on young females in North America by MALE FASHION DESIGNERS in the U.S., and by Department Stores across the Continent."
I applaud this father.
I admire this father.
I invite more FATHERS to express, with humour and wisdom,
that their daughters are human beings, with dignity;
that their bodies are magnificent temples that Creation has bestowed;
that they are MORE than a PICTURE on social media.
I applaud this daughter.
I admire this daughter.
The interview of this daughter reveals that although her social media "selfies" show her to be the CHILD that she is, who follows blindly the artificial culture of the distasteful, money-making world of teen fashion in North America,
nevertheless,
she has inherited her father's ability to laugh with him, and at herself.
The interview of this daughter reveals that she is receptive to her father's gentle wisdom.
The interview of this daughter reveals that, after all, she loves and respects her father's points of view.
This father and daughter display something I find MOST attractive:
- that teaching human dignity is done with love, with respect, with freedom to think for one's self, yet, without fear of expression of opinion.
What a wonderful model of father-daughter teaching and learning.
What, I wonder, would be the effect on the fashion industry in North America, if every single father stood up and, in each in their own way, protested against the human-dignity-robbing, North American, female child and teen fashion industry?
I really do wonder about that!
Showing respect for the personhood of female children and teens is something that all males can do, by expressing, with humour and wisdom, as did this father, that they believe that female children and teens are people.
