Voting Rights and Wrongs
The positive reception of Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz's planned reforms that will allow women to vote, run for municipal seats, and be appointed for the Shura Council belies just how vacuous democratic reforms are in the Kingdom. The ongoing restrictions on the woman's movement renders her right to vote and participate in political life merely theoretical. For instance, how do women go to polling stations, embark on a campaign … [Read More...]
Who Will Survive in America?
In honor of Gil Scott-Heron, who passed away a week ago, this is Comment #1. RIP. The words: Poem here says, Comment #1 uh Comment #2 is dynamite but Comment #1 is the one we decided to use here this evening because it makes a comment if you listen closely on what is now being advertised in East Harlem as the Rainbow Conspiracy a combination of the Students For A Democratic Society, the Black Panthers, and the Young Lords and this is my … [Read More...]
The Liberation of Women [تحرير المرأة]
I want to be like Nawal el-Saadawi when I grow up. What an inspiration! "We don't say Feminists here in Arabic, we say 'Tahrir al-Mar'ah' [تحرير المرأة] means the 'Liberation of Women' because there's not one feminism. There are many Feminisms all over the world. There is Capitalist Feminism. There is Socialist Feminism. There are women fighting against class, patriarchy, colonialism, imperialism, and there are women who are … [Read More...]
Status Quo You Can Believe In
I find there are two types of change: the one that doesn't happen, and the one that does. Those who hide behind the auspices of "gradual change" and "gradual reform" over revolutions in many of these corrupt systems ought to re-evaluate what exactly they are seeking to change. The notion of entrusting these dictators to transition into democracy is absurd, but what is more absurd is the idea that "things can be worse". For a long time, dictators … [Read More...]