This blog is
not about political parties. This blog is about women.
“…in the
Lord, neither is woman independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. For
as the woman originates from the man, so also the man has his birth through the
woman; and all things originate from God.”
Living in
the center of the Middle Eastern conflict—namely, Jerusalem—my perspective on
life, freedom, and faith has changed quite a bit. No longer is a riot in Egypt
or a murder in Syria far removed from my everyday routine. These constantly
swirling issues are all around me and all around Israel. These countries are my
close neighbors and their events are directly relevant to me. Sometimes these
events are in Israel, in my neighborhood, on my street. I will never again read
Scripture with the same view, nor will I feel indifferent toward Middle Eastern
news, regardless of where my life takes me. I am forever impacted.
Yet I am
still proud and thankful to be an American. I look forward to living there
again someday. But even if I do, my American bubble is popped and I cringe at
how long in my life it remained translucently intact. Please, do
yourself a favor and pop your bubble, too.
Allow me to
possibly present a bubble popper: “Someone else in the world is happy with less
than what you have.”
No,
seriously.
SOMEONE ELSE
IN THE WORLD IS HAPPY WITH LESS THAN WHAT YOU HAVE.
Having said all of that, it's not only relevant to me how women are treated in the Middle East, it is also important for all women.
If you ever
take the time to study the history of Afghanistan, especially relating to women,
I dare you not to cry. It is horrendous. Under Taliban rule there is an endless
list of dehumanizing laws pertaining to women, including not being allowed to
speak loudly in public, not allowed to leave the house without their husbands,
no education after the age of eight, women not allowed on their balconies or
porches, all floor level windows had to be blacked out, and on and on. If any
of these rules were broken, public beatings and whippings were a guarantee. Sometimes
amputations of fingers, hands, ears, or noses. Sometimes public execution in a
sports arena. Here is a complete list of Taliban rules and harsh punishments,
I cannot
speak much about this next subject, because it is so graphic and disturbing. In
several parts of the world there is still a practice of forced female
circumcision. Teenage girls are held down by multiple grown men and have their
genitals mutilated with a knife. The official medical title is FGM—female genital mutilation. I want to scream out in anger and sorrow if I think about it too
much.
I’m not
saying these people are happy. I’m drawing a sharp contrast between American
women seeking luxuries that many women in the world not only don’t have, but
instead have degradation and suffering. Free or easily accessible contraception?
Many women in the world would be thrilled just to have an education and an
escape from their suffering.
I am very
young, very poor, married woman. And I am not ready to be a mother. I
understand all too well how difficult it is to get contraception, and how
expensive it is. I have had to hunt and search in two different states now for
a program willing to give me free contraception—and a year’s worth. But I did
it. I found two different programs that helped me. Help is out there for those that really need it.
I also
understand the discrepancy in a law that affects women being passed or denied
by a panel of all men. Misrepresentation is a real problem—and perhaps a pretty
complicated one. But I keep coming back to my gut on this one: is anyone
stopping more women from getting onto these panels in the United States? Could
there be more women on these panels? I think so. Ladies, if you are upset about
this discrepancy of representation in our government, then go to Law School. No
one is stopping you from changing this discrepancy. If I get wet outside when
it’s raining because I don’t have an umbrella, I don’t blame the sky for
raining. I blame myself for not bringing an umbrella.
As I was
meditating on this subject, I came across the phrase “warfare on women” in a
book written about two years ago. Read this passage:
[circa 2004]
“In cities
across Iraq, even in the more fashionable districts of Baghdad, religious
conservatives terrorized unveiled women by throwing acid at their faces—a
method of attack used with disturbing frequency in Afghanistan and Pakistan as
well. In other instances, women had their heads forcibly shaved or were pelted
with stones for daring to appear uncovered. In villages terrorized by
Al-Qaeda…in the south, extremists assassinated women for wearing makeup or
appearing without a headscarf. To leave no doubt about their intentions, the
militants would strip the bodies, dress them in scandalous clothing, and dump
them in the gutter. Sometimes the bodies were decapitated and the message
“collaborator” was pinned to their chests.
Female
politicians and activists became assassination targets. Within weeks of
becoming a member of the IDC, gunman tired to kill Salama al-Khafaji. She
barely escaped. In the spring of 2004, assassins also targeted the minister of
public works, Nasreen Barwari, a Harvard-trained Kurdish woman who was the only
female cabinet member in the interim government. She narrowly escaped but the
attack killed three of her bodyguards. In March 2004, Fern Holland, a
human-rights activist and lawyer from Oklahoma who helped draft parts of the
interim constitution concerning women, was killed along with two co-workers in the
town of Hilla, south of Baghdad. It was open warfare on women.” [Paradise
Beneath her Feet]
Do you
understand? When the definition of warfare becomes an issue of easily accessible
contraception and abortions, our understanding of “warfare” is extremely
skewed. The USA is one of the greatest places for women to live—so why are American women so angry? I watched a video about why the war on women in America
is “real” and one of the female doctors being interviewed said something along
the lines of “it is every woman’s basic right to decide when and how she
becomes a mother.” Yes, this is true. It is also every woman’s basic right to
decide when and how she has sex. Just sayin’.
I don’t care
what political party you prefer, or which one won the election. I am a woman.
And to all American women that are outraged at the thought that a bunch of old
white guys want to veto a law that would give you cheap birth control---I sigh.
For all your fellow women less fortunate than you, please appreciate all the
liberties and luxuries that you have.
“The goal of
our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere
faith.” (1Tim 1:5)
“Avoid such
people [that are] always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the
truth.” (2Tim 3:5,7)
-Madelyn
Miles
