April 16 2022

Ahmad Manasra, the Captive Dove

In 2015 Ahmad Manasra, a Palestinian 13 year old was run over by Israeli patrol, leaving him in a pool of blood without aid, while Israeli settlers verbally abused him. Minutes earlier, Ahmad’s cousin, Hassan, was shot dead, after an alleged knife-stabbing attack on an Israeli security guard in an illegal Israeli settlement.
Still suffering major skull and body injuries, Ahmad, a minor back then, was taken for “suspicion” of involvement in the alleged stabbing, violently interrogated without the presence of a lawyer or a family member or any adult for that matter. As a result, he was sentenced to 12 years in prison, despite lack of evidence and absence of proof of his involvement. For the past 7 years, Ahmad’s been deprived of basic human rights, like access to proper healthcare and regular visitation. He’s been subjected to continuous physical and psychological torture, and thrown in solitary confinement for most of his time in prison.

April 13th was Ahmad’s retrial. Although the “terrorism” designation was finally dropped off, Ahmad remains behind bars and his mental health continues to deteriorate.
In court, his mom welcomed him, like a mom would her child parading in a school concert. To her, he’s still that child snatched out of her arms. With comforting voice she kept calling his name and repeating: “I am here,  my son, we all love you.”
Ahmad was quickly removed from the room following his mom’s request to get closer to him.
Her warm voice is still ringing in my ears, the way his eyes lit up when he saw her, how he waved his hand at his family, like a little child, is all I can see every time I close my eyes. It broke my heart beyond description.
To our brave Ahmad, to his composed mom, and all strong moms of Palestinian children unlawfully detained in Israeli prisons, I dedicate my poem.
For more details search: #FreeAhmadManasra and #الحرية_لأحمد_مناصرة
You can support Ahmad in his fight for freedom by signing this Petition.

Captive Dove

Do you see me?
I am here, my love
You walk in, a man
Raised by darkness
Your broken heart tired of life
Longing for a moment of justice

But to me, my love
You’re still the child
I never hugged goodbye
That 13 year old dove
Innocent and wild
With wings eager to fly

Amidst the tumultuous crowd
I hear your stillness
Our eyes meet, time stops
Beneath that mask
I espy your illness and
7 long years tattooed across

I am here, my love
Look at me, I stand by you
Like a soaring olive tree
They pull me away
But beside you I stay
Holding you tight from afar

Listen to my heart pound in your chest
Watch my lungs breathe in your scent
Feel my fingers kiss your scarred wrist and
Trust I’ll do my absolute best
For I’m your guardian angel and
You, despite darkness, my shiniest star

My hands are tied
Just like yours
We watch us both wither away
Son, don’t surrender
We’ll smash these doors and
Justice will prevail one day

I know they broke your spirit
Put out the fire in your striking eyes
Your tortured body is now numb, yet
Your head can’t hold back the cries
You no longer remember the truth
But we’re keeping track of their lies

Ripped out of my chest
My heart is weeping
As they drag you, my baby
Into the abyss,
Your tired shoulders already sleeping
Your angry feet trampling hope’s kiss

A desperate soul I’ll flutter around you
To scare the dark away
Rock-a-bye baby, let your mind rest
I got you… And
Won’t stop, no way
Till my little bird’s back in his nest

 

 

Category: Arab Societies, General, Media, International, Palestine, Women | Comments Off on Ahmad Manasra, the Captive Dove
February 1 2021

Why We So Desperately Needed CBC’s “Canada Tonight with Ginella Massa”

Early this year, on January 11th to be more precise, history was made by the appearance of Ginella Massa, a Hijab-wearing television news anchor, on national TV, revolutionizing Canadian TV as we know it.

With the pandemic and the ever-changing health measures and restrictions, I can confidently say that most of us are glued to our screens, scrolling down local news in search of announcements and public health updates 24/7, and that’s how I came across Ginella Massa’s tweet announcing the airing of her show’s premiere on CBC News Network.

Needless to say, I was so happy and proud of CBC for giving a voice to a member of a visible minority. We so desperately needed a show like Canada Tonight, and we so desperately needed Ginella Massa to be its host. Let me tell you why.
Well, for starters, she’s an awesome person. Really, she’s got charisma and has this contagious smile and uplifting spirit that you connect with even through a screen. She’s MADE for this. You can sense her passion and hard work in every episode.
Having someone like her on national TV, during prime time, is huge.
Now although Canadian TV doesn’t very much lack diversity in its broad sense, but this is the first time a Muslim immigrant wearing Hijab gets to be in the spotlight. This is important as it helps concur stereotypes about Hijab being synonymous with oppression, deprivation and underachievement, because, believe it or not, many people still prejudge Hijab-wearing women and label them in the most unfair way.

But I didn’t want to write about Massa and her show just because of what she wears. I actually wanted to watch her in action, wanted to see what she was adding to the table, and I can easily say that after religiously watching the show for 3 weeks, it was apparent that it isn’t your typical news show; this show is a game-changer.
On one hand, it adds a beautiful personal touch to stories that are usually presented as nothing but news headlines, statistics and numbers. On the other hand, Massa lived up to her promise, covering stories that usually don’t get a fair chance in coverage, interviewing people of different shades, backgrounds and ethnicities, making her show an honest reflection of the beautifully diverse Canada.

I’ve become a huge fan of “Canada Tonight with Ginella Massa”, and I have to say, that when I watch her, I don’t see the veil she’s become so famous for, all I see is an extremely passionate broadcaster, a hard-working journalist, doing what she loves, and being so damn good at it.
It’s really irritating to read all the negative discouraging comments based on nothing but pure racism. I  hope that viewers would finally learn to see beyond what a broadcaster looks like or what they choose to wear, and see what’s inside their mind and heart instead.
I’ve said it more than once, and I’ll say it again: Accepting someone doesn’t mean agreeing with what they believe in and what they stand for. We don’t need to share the same mindset, preferences or beliefs, but we must respect each other and accept each others’ right to be different in order to be able to coexist in peace and harmony.

It’s worth mentioning that “Ginella made history in 2015, believed to be the first television news reporter in North America to wear a hijab on-air when she was hired as a Video Journalist for CTV News in Kitchener, Ontario. She made international headlines again after anchoring the evening newscast at CityNews Toronto in 2016.” [Source: Ginella Massa]

So if you’re into powerful courageous interviews, tune in to Canada Tonight with Ginella Massa weeknights at 8 p.m. ET on CBC News Network. If you can’t watch it live, then you can stream it on CBC Gem, on this link.

I’ll leave you with Radheyan Simonpillai’s interview with the beautiful Ginella Massa, one of my absolute favorite interviews, very honest and down to earth. Hope you enjoy it.

 

Category: Canada, Media, International, Women | Comments Off on Why We So Desperately Needed CBC’s “Canada Tonight with Ginella Massa”
June 26 2018

My Heart… On a Plate

This year I got the most beautiful Mother’s Day treat ever: a bouquet of stunning Tulips, my absolute favorite, and a very yummy, freshly made breakfast.
That would’ve been more than enough to make me very happy, but there was a very lovely surprise waiting for me.

Later that day an amazon package with my name on it was delivered to our doorstep.
You know that moment when you’re sure you didn’t order anything but you start doubting yourself and questioning your memory?
Well, after  a few attempts at guessing what’s in the box, I finally opened it, and in it was a gift note from my husband, wishing me a Happy Mother’s Day.
I peeked in to find a very special gift that made my day even more beautiful; a gift that checks four boxes of things I absolutely love: books, food, influential people and… (drum roll)… Palestine.
It was a cookbook about delicious Palestinian dishes by a person I really really admire.

The book is “Palestine on a Plate” by the awesome Joudie Kalla.

I’ve been wanting to get my hands on this book for a very long while, but swamped with a series of many unfortunate events, I just forgot all about it.
I’d never expected, in a million years, that my husband would be the one to get it for me, because I recall mentioning it to him only once, a long while back, and well, because I know for a fact he’s not into cookbooks. 😉

Where do I start?
I love this mouthwatering book, love its hard elegant cover, love the design, photos, the choice of colors, plates and cutlery. You can sense the book’s originality and creative style in every single bit of it really, even in the dish names.
I absolutely love how chef and author Joudie Kalla made sure to provide the Arabic dish names before their English translation.
I also found it very unusual for a cook to name many dishes after people who passed on the recipe, which adds a very pleasant personal and original touch in my opinion; and I like it because this is very much how my mom does it; in her small recipe book, you’d find many recipes named after their creators not the dish itself, and I find this very impressive, reflecting a very strong personality and a sense of confidence many women lack.
I mean how many women would actually tell you, that the meal you just went crazy over was not their original recipe? not so many, but a few including my mom (me and my two lovely sisters), and Joudie Kalla would.

The dishes themselves are fantastic, each page I turned took me to places and times I long for.
And although the same dish has many versions depending on what region of Palestine you’re from, which means different cooking techniques and slightly different flavors, but all resulting dishes are scrumptious and carry this distinctive Palestinian touch that makes every single dish stand out in a special way. So even if the recipe on the book differs from how you’re used  to making it yourself, don’t be afraid to try it out.

Another thing I absolutely adored was Kalla’s original Palestinian- Western fusion dishes, such as: ‘Figs with Labneh & Honey’, ‘Za’atar Scones’, ‘Freekeh, Fig & Pistachio Cake with Lemon Zest’ and ‘Medjool Date Scones’ to name a few.
And needless to say, my absolute favorite section was the “Vibrant Vegetarian”, which is really an amazing display of the best and most delicious Palestinian Vegetarian _and Vegan_ dishes that made their way to many other cultures, and that, to me, resemble vegetarian cooking at its absolute best.

Besides all of this, I couldn’t have picked a more perfect timing for this gift, for there’s no better way to celebrate Mother’s Day than being immersed in pages of meals from your home country, not only that, but it also happened to be a few days before the start of Ramadan, a month that brings the best out of people’s culinary skills (and their experimental urges) in creating the perfect meals to gather loved ones for breaking fast; it was also a couple of days before the Palestinian Nakba Day, and what better way to commemorate a culture than reviving its heritage and its cuisine that’s being robbed away by its occupier.

As for the author, I’m one of her biggest fans. I’ve been following her on social media for years now, sharing her videos and tweets, and I’m just impressed with her pride in her Palestinian descent and identity, and her persistence to preserve the Palestinian cuisine, heritage and culture.
From insisting on publishing a book with the word “Palestine” in its title, to hosting public dinners showcasing Palestinian culinary masterpieces, to never failing to mention her love for the Palestine that runs in her blood, Kalla succeeded in planting her name, her work and her beautiful spirit not only in our kitchens, but also in our hearts.

I love “Palestine on a Plate”, and highly recommend buying it. An awesome gift idea, and a great way to treat yourself, while supporting Palestine and reserving its culture and cuisine.

It is worth mentioning that Kalla is expecting the release of her second ccokbook BALADI: A Celebration of Food from Land and Sea, in October 2018.

Category: Arab Societies, Books, Cool Stuff, Media, International, Palestine, Women | 3 Comments on My Heart… On a Plate
March 25 2018

تبّا لكم، اتركوها ترحل بسلام

لن أدّعي أنّي من متابعي ريم بنّا منذ بداياتها، فقد تعرّفت عليها منذ بضع سنوات فقط وبمحض الصدفة، عندما قامت إحدى صديقاتي على الفيسبوك بمشاركة أغنية لها، وعلى الفور أُعجبت بهذه الفنانة، أعجبت بصوتها وأدائها وشغفها الواضح في كل أغنية تغنيها.
بدأت أقرأ عنها وأبحث عن أخبارها، وكلّما تعرّفت عليها أكثر، زاد إعجابي بها أكثر فأكثر، فانضممت لمتابعيها وسرعان ما تحوّل إعجابي بها كفنانة ملتزمة إلى انبهار بها كامرأة صاحبة قضية، وكشخصية  قوية ثائرة عنيدة وصرت أنتظر بفارغ الصبر ما ستكتبه كل يوم.
بعد فترة وجيزة ذهلت عندما رأيت صورها وهي حليقة الرأس تملأ شبكات التواصل الاجتماعي، فعرفت أنّ هذه الريم البريئة الجميلة التي لا تغيب الابتسامة عن وجهها، تخوض حربا ضروس مع أشرس الأمراض، مرض السرطان.
ومع أنّ السرطان منعها من الغناء لفترة، فهو لم يمنعها من الاستمرار في العطاء، فأبت أن تكون فريسة ضعيفة للمرض وآثرت أن تكون مصدر إلهام وأمل لآلاف المرضى، واستمرّت في مسيرتها كناشطة في حقوق الإنسان وحقوق المرأة، واستمرت في نضالها لشعب فلسطين، حاملة رسالة وطنها وقضيته في كل عمل تعمله وفي كل كلمة تكتبها أو صورة تنشرها.

مع كل أسف، كانت رحلتها في هذه الدنيا قصيرة، لكنها في هذه الرحلة القصيرة أنجزت الكثير، وحققت العديد من الانتصارات على العديد من المستويات وفي العديد من المجالات.
ومع كل هذا ومع أنّها عانت الكثير في حياتها، فلم يرحمها أشباه البشر بعد رحيلها، ولست أصدّق لهذه اللحظة ما يتجرّأ العديد على كتابته عن هكذا شخصية، لا أدري هل هو جهل أو غيرة، حمق أو لؤم، غباء أم شر، ما أعلمه أنّها ناضلت على طريقتها، فحاربت الاستعمار بصوتها، ونشرت الوعي بالقضية الفلسطينية على نطاق عالمي بموسيقاها، وزرعت الأمل في نفس كل مريض ومريضة بكلماتها الصادقة المؤثرة، فماذا فعلتم أنتم؟ ما هي إنجازاتكم؟ كيف حاربتم الاستعمار؟ بغيبتكم ونميمتكم على شبكات التواصل الاجتماعي؟ أم بسمومكم التي تبثوها بين أبناء شعوبكم وكرهكم الذي تغذوه في كل كلمة تنشروها؟
من أنتم لتحللوا وتحرّموا رحمة الله على عباده؟ من أنتم لتقيّموا حياة إنسانة فريدة من نوعها مثل ريم بنّا؟
إن لم يعجبكم تغريدها، فعل تعتقدون أنّ جعيركم يعجبنا؟ إن كان أسلوب نضالها لا يوافق ذوقكم، فلتناضلوا كما يحلوا لكم يا جبناء بدل الاختباء وراء شاشاتكم، ولكن اعلموا أنّ حبّها للحياة وتفاؤلها أقوى من خبثكم وترويجكم للكره والموت، وأنّ نضالها الذي تنتقدوه جعلها رمزا جميلا لفلسطين رغم أنوفكم التي تدسّوها فيما لا يعنيكم، وأنّها يكفيها شرفا أنّ رسالتها كانت نشر الحب والسلام  حتى وهي تواجه الموت، أمّا أنتم، فأنتم وأمراضكم النفسية  وحقدكم هو السرطان نفسه.

بين احتلال ظالم ومرض لا يرحم، لم تنعم ريم بنّا بالسلام يوما في حياتها، فاتركوها ترحل بسلام.
ريم، سنشتاق لفنجان القهوة الذي كنت تشاركينا إياه من شرفتك في فلسطين، سنشتاق للورود التي كنتي تنشري عبيرها في صور بسيطة التقطتها لترسمي البسمة على وجوهنا، سنشتاق لابتسامتك، لوجهك، لصوتك، لروحك الحرّة الجميلة الثائرة… ريم بنّا،  لروحك السلام!

ريم بنا

شُيعت الفنانة الفلسطينية ريم بنا بالعلم الفلسطيني في مدينة الناصرة في فلسطين المحتلة. ريم قاومت سرطان الاحتلال لبلدها واحتلال السرطان لجسدها#ريم_بناRim Banna

Posted by ‎عربي +AJ‎ on Saturday, March 24, 2018

Category: Arab Societies, General, Media, International, Palestine, Posts in Arabic, Women | 2 Comments on تبّا لكم، اتركوها ترحل بسلام
March 15 2015

“عجايزنا” و”عجايزهم”

​

في عالمنا العربي تنتقد المرأة التي دخلت مرحلة الشيخوخة إذا فكرت بتصفيف شعرها، أو الاشتراك في ناد للرياضة ، أو  تعلم مهارة جديدة او حتى ممارسة هواية خاصة… فهذا عيب وذاك حرام وهذا غير لائق؛ هي الآن هدفها في الحياة مجالسة الأحفاد، تنظيف المنزل وملء البطون… وانتظار عزرائيل.
ناهيك عن وابل الأمثال المهينة والمحبطةالتي تنهال على مسامعها لتذكيرها ب”وضعها ” وبتخلف من حولها : ”بعد ما شاب ودوه الكتاب”، “بعد الكبرة جبة حمرة” ، ” رجلك والقبر” وغيرها.
انا مع المحافظة على العادات والتقاليد ولكن علينا ان نعترف بأن مجتمعنا يزيدها كثيرا ويستكثر على المرأة أن تكون ما تشاء أن تكون، حتى ضمن أطر مقبولة أخلاقياً ومنطقياً، قامعا روحها وعقلها، ونحن وبلا فخر، نعزز هذا الفكر المتسلط دافنين نصف مجتمعنا في بئر من المحرمات. بينما وفي ذات الوقت، يدعم الغرب سيداته، حتى وهن على مشارف الموت، لأنه على يقين، بأن دعم سيدة ولو على تصرف قد لا ترجى أي فائدة منه غير التسلية قد يشعل شمعة الأمل لدى الكثيرات ويبعث روح المغامرة داخل كل أنثى لتتحدى المستحيل والمعقول، ومن هنا، تتحدى نفسها وتبدع في كل المجالات، ومن هنا تخلق الأجيال القوية الطامحة، ومن هنا تولد المجتمعات المتميزة التي لاتقهر.
ويكفي أن يكون إسمك “إليزابيث” بدلاً من “منيرة” لتتحولي من مجرد مشاهدة لهذا الفيديو إلى بطلته.

Category: Arab Societies, Women | 6 Comments on “عجايزنا” و”عجايزهم”
September 17 2014

المرأة وسباق الأرقام والتواريخ

             لفت انتباهي إعلان لشركة دوف جاءت فيه معلومة تقول: واحدة من أصل كل 10 نساء تفخر بالإفصاح عن عمرها الحقيقي، ويهدف الإعلان إلى تحميس النساء وتشجيعهن على الاحتفال بكل الأعماربدلا من الشعور بالحرج.

ففكّرت بالموضوع، لماذا تحاول المرأة دوما إخفاء عمرها؟ وتغضب عندما يسألها أحد عن سنها؟ والجواب طبعا معروف وبديهي: لأنها لا تريد الاعتراف بتقدّمها بالسن… ولكن لماذا يا ترى؟ الجواب أيضا بديهي، لأنها تربت على الخوف من الكبر، ولأن مجتمعها ربط أهميتها وكيانها ووجودها كله بالأرقام،  وحدّد “تاريخ صلاحية” لكل مرحلة من مراحل كينونتها،  فبدلا من أن يدفعها المجتمع للإنجاز، صار يخيفها من كل دقيقة تمر، من كل يوم يمضي، من كل شهر يدخل، ومن كل سنة تنتهي قبل أن تنفذ ما هو مُتوقّع منها. فلكل وقت رقم، ولكل رقم كنية، ولكل كنية أهمية في تحديد ما إذا كانت هذه الفتاة تستحق الحياة أم لا، ما إذا كانت أهلا للإعجاب أم لا… والأسوأ ما إذا كانت تستحق أن تسمّى أنثى أم لا.

ففي الصغر، البنت أميرة، صديقة أمها، دلّوعة والدها والعائلة بأكملها، ويل لمن يحزنها، وويلات لمن يمد يده عليها، هي تطلب فتُلَبّى، تأمر فتُطاع؛ بعدها تصبح صبية ، شابة فتية، ومن هنا تبدأ التسميات والتعريفات ومن هنا يبدأ سباق الأرقام والتواريخ، فالسنتيمترات تحدد أنّ هذه طويلة وهذه قصيرة، والكيلوغرامات تجزم ما إذا كانت هذه رشيقة أوبدينة، وتكبر أكثر فأكثر، وتزداد الأرقام تحكمّا في روحها ووجودها وتوجهاتها وكل حياتها، ولا تعرف مخرجا من السباق على متن “القطار”، القطار الذي طالما سمعت عنه، والذي هو هاجس من حولها.

فهي تعرف كل محطاته، والمحظوظة تكون قد تلقت دروسا كافية للّحاق ب”القطار” في وقته. فكل بنت تعرف أنها لو لم تلقى شريك حياتها في فترة معينة، فإن القطار سيفوتها، كما تعلم كل فتاة أنها لو التقته وارتبطت به ولم تتزوجه خلال مدة معينة، فإن القطار سيفوتها، وإن تزوجته ولم تنجب منه سريعا، فسيفوتها القطار أيضا، وإن أنجبت بنتا لا ولدا، فعليها أن تحاول وتحاول في أسرع وقت أن تنجب الذكر، كي لا يفوتها القطار… إن تطلقت فهي على وشك تفويت القطار، إن تطلقت ومعها أولاد، فقد فاتها القطار، إن ترملت فهي مشكلة، إن ترملت مع أطفال فهي مصيبة لأن القطار حتما فاتها… إن  لوحظت شيبات شعرها فهي كارثة، فقد فاتتها كل القطارات، إن تجعدت بشرتها فهي مأساة تذكّر من يراها بأنها “خلص، راحت عليها”. فللوظيفة مدة صلاحية، وللزواج مدة صلاحية، وللإنجاب مدة صلاحية، وللجمال مدةصلاحية، ويل لمن تحاول أن تفكر حتى في تحقيق شئ انتهت صلاحيته، وعار على من تفصح عن هذه الأرقام التي تكشف صلاحيتها، ولكن مسموح لكل من التزمت بتاريخ الصلاحية أن تفتخر ب”إنجازاتها”، ب”شطارتها”، متناسية أن كل شئ في الدنيا نصيب، وكل شئ في الدنيا رزق مقسوم. وأن أي نجاح على أي صعيد هو من ناحية مجهود شخصي ومن ناحية أخرى رزق أو حظ، وأن محيطك يلعب دور كبير في تحديد هويتك شئت أم أبيت، لذلك أرجو كل المجنمعات الذكورية (وليست هي العربية فقط) بأن يعدلوا تجاه نصف مجتمعهم، بأن يشجعوها على الاستمرار والإنجاز والنجاح بعيدا عن أية أرقام، أو تواريخ، أو أعداد. دعوا المرأة تنطلق وتعكس جمالها الداخلي على مجتمعاتنا، سواء كانت طفلة أو شابة أو عجوز،  إن كانت عزباء أو متزوجة أو مطلقة أو أرملة ، سواء كانت  أم أو جدة، فالأنثى هي الأنثى، مهما اختلفت التسميات ومهما كان الرقم.،

Category: Arab Societies, Posts in Arabic, Women | 1 Comment on المرأة وسباق الأرقام والتواريخ
January 21 2014

Lizzie Velasquez Is Beautiful

I came across this article: “Labeled ‘World’s Ugliest Woman,’ Motivational Speaker Turns Hate Into Love”, and honestly, I can’t get over the fact that we’re in year 2014 and there are people who have the guts not only to label other people negatively, but to make things worse, they label them according to looks.
There’s nothing, and I mean NOTHING, more unfair than judging a person by their looks. I hear -and personally know- of individuals, mainly women, whose looks are the no. 1 factor in deciding their lives, whether on the personal, social or career level; which I find absolutely crazy.

“Beautiful” women, depend on their beauty to be hired, and the shocking truth is that they do get exactly what they want, if not even more than what they want in so many cases, simply because they’re attractive! They generate more “revenue” because they’re appealing and get the attention of buyers, customers, clients or whatever the targeted group is called depending on their place of work. And “ugly” women, get deprived of so many jobs and titles just because they don’t look good enough and would “reflect” a negative impression of their workplace.

No one should be given credit for looking beautiful, they didn’t work hard for it, they didn’t earn it, they were just given it, as simple as that. And no one should be punished for being “ugly”, because they didn’t create themselves this way, they’re just the victim of shallow societies that set their own standards for what’s beautiful and what’s not.

That said, not all beautiful women are stupid, not all “ugly” women are smart, and vice versa.  Looks are just something additional on the surface of a very deep and precious thing many people tend to forget about: the soul.
If you want to judge someone, judge them by their actions, way of thinking, talents, skills, and respect for others. Do not judge someone by something they have no control over and no choice in. Don’t push people to change how they look just to please the crowds, and fit what is defined as acceptable by the majority.

It’s people like Lizzie Velasquez who should be on the cover of every magazine, be the role model to look up to, not the fake porcelain dolls that we see everywhere these days.

Category: Media, International, Women | 1 Comment on Lizzie Velasquez Is Beautiful
May 28 2012

Religious Tensions in Jordan? Really?!

Religious tensions in Jordan as a “Christian Jordanian sues her Muslim employer“… this is what’s on the news these days! Jordanians being split into 2 groups: Muslims and Christians, questions of religious discrimination within the nation… really that’s what it has come to?

While everyone knows I’m 100% against anyone being forced to do something against their own beliefs and principles, I also believe in the freedom of choice.
All over the world, at least the modern, free world that Jordanians always work hard so that their nation is one of, the rule is plain and simple: new management, new rules; take it, or leave it. A new dress code is represented, it being an Islamic bank, it’s no shock that the dress code would be as modest as the name suggests, and the non-Muslim employee was not forced to wear an actual Hijab, she was just asked to wear a scarf over her head to be as close as possible to the uniform. This kind of thing happens EVERYWHERE. I myself have worked with NGOs where any expression of any religious symbol was out of question, therefore, if a fellow Muslim woman decided to wear Hijab, the foundation simply forced her to resign, or, if she refused, she got fired. And I also worked with companies where every single religious symbol imaginable was permitted, but once the management decided to change rules for one reason or the other, the employees had to either take it or leave it.

If I, a Muslim woman, chose to work in an Orthodox club in Amman, and the manager had no problem with my religion and hired me, then one day he changes his mind and tells me: listen from now on, everyone has to wear our new uniform, and it has the hugest Cross embroidered on it, then, as a Muslim woman, I have one of 2 options: either take it or leave it. It’s as simple as that! Although it’s just an entertainment center for activities, the club is called Orthodox, therefore it reflects the spirit of an Orthodox church in its system, and I have to make the choice of where I wish to work. I would not go sue anyone for that, unless the entity, whether a company or a foundation had no religious significance.

Many of my Jordanian  friends are still being deprived the right to work in non-religiously oriented workplaces because they wear Hijab, although, Muslims are a majority in Jordan, simply because the management doesn’t like to hire Hijabis. Many of my Muslim friends were instantly fired for deciding to wear Hijab after they’ve been hired in non-religious workplaces. Many of my Muslim friends were asked to either take off their Hijab, or resign, or else get fired, because the new management does not like Hijabis. No one sued.
I never saw any Jordanian lady sue her employer for asking her to wear short skirts, or tight dresses either. As long as the workplace represents a certain religious stream, whether Christian, or Muslim, or any thing else, then the employee, regardless of their own religion views should respect that, and be professional at their job. Just like the fact that if the employee is working in a public entity, or a workplace that doesn’t relate to any religious stream, then this employee has the right to sue if the management decides to force her/him to follow, or unfollow certain religious views.

In many countries, local clothing is obligatory in government workplaces and positions, such as the UAE for example, so even expats and non-Muslim women would have to wear the national Emarati costume which is basically a headscarf and a long abaya. I saw no one sue anyone for that!
And to those who are “fearing” that this incident means Jordan has become extreme such as Iran, Afghanistan or elsewhere, please stop falling for these silly claims, even Muslims Jordanian ladies are not forced to wear hijab anywhere that has no religious significance.

My point is: if a work place is related to any religious stream or system, then the employees should be expecting a change in dress code at any time, and respect that, and choose to accept it and go on, or refuse it and leave. It’s so unprofessional, and immature to turn this into a religious discrimination argument!

Jordanians have been one hand since as long as I could remember, some of my best friends ever are Christians, we lived in harmony, celebrated everything together, and never ever let anything come between us. It saddens me a lot, that today, in 2012, instead of going forward, some are falling for the religious discrimination scam, and are allowing others to portray us as enemies, who do not respect each others’ beliefs.

“Christian Jordanian woman sues her Muslim employer”… is that the kind of headline that we want to read about our nation? really? is that how we want to be referred to?  I don’t know about you, but I perfectly know that I don’t.

Category: Arab Societies, Jordan, Religion, Women | Comments Off on Religious Tensions in Jordan? Really?!
March 25 2012

We Teach Life, Sir

Around 9 years ago, and after I was done with my presentation about my homeland, Palestine, as asked by my professor, who requested the same of us all in an attempt to bridge cultures and learn more about each other,  and although I was only discussing the cultural aspects of Palestine, choosing to summarize the political situation with the word “occupied”, nothing more, nothing less, to avoid getting into a stressful unpleasant conversation – as is always the case when I mention the word ‘Palestine’; I was asked the exact same question that you’ll hear in the following video by a “colleague” :
“Don’t you think everything would be resolved, if you (Palestinians) just stopped teaching so much hatred to your children?”
I recall my reply back then was: “We teach our children how to survive… it’s you, Sir, who teach them how to hate”. But I guess Rafeef Ziadah’s reply is a much more precise one: ”We Palestinians wake up every morning… to teach the rest of the world… LIFE… Sir”

Click here to view the embedded video.

 

Category: Arab Societies, Media, International, Palestine, Women | Comments Off on We Teach Life, Sir
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ليلة واحدة في دبي

دبي هي نيويورك … وهي دلهي

هي باريس… وهي القاهرة

هي الرياض وبيروت

دبي هي أنا، وهي أنت

دبي هي كما تريد أن تراها… كما تريد أن تراها

من رواية “ليلة واحدة في دبي” لهاني نقشبندي

في آخر أياّم إقامتي في مدينة دبي كنت في إحدى المكتبات أبحث عن بعض الكتب لأشتريها وإذا بعيني تلمح عنوان “ليلة واحدة في دبي”، والذي كان كافيا لجلب انتباهي وغزو قلبي وإقناع عقلي بشرائه على الفور، لأنني أحب دبي، ولأنني أردت أن آخذ معي تذكارا من نوع آخر في ذاك اليوم، ولكن عندما رأيت اسم المؤلف كنت على يقين أن اختياري في محلّه، فكثير منكم يعلم أنّني من محبيّ كتابات الكاتب الصحفي هاني نقشبندي، ومن متتبعي رواياته باستمرار.

لم أتمكّن من البدء في قراءة الرواية إلاّ مؤخّرا، ولكنّني حين بدأت لم أستطع التوقف. فكما هي حال كل روايات نقشبندي، فإنّ الأسلوب اللغوي السلس، والرمزية التي تضفي غموضا ممتعا على القصة، يحوّلان صفحات كتاباته إلى مغامرة فكرية شيقة فريدة من نوعها.

يطرح الكاتب قضايا إنسانية -وغير إنسانية- عديدة موجودة في زمننا وتغذّيها مجتمعاتنا المدنية بفوراتها الحضارية وسباقها  نحو التميز. تساؤلات عن الذات، عن الأنا، عن الأهداف، عن الأولويات،
عن الطموح، العقبات، الحلول، الطبقات، النفوذ، المال، وعن موقع الحكمة والبساطة في خضمّ هذه الفوضى العارمة.

هذه الرواية تجعلنا كلنا نفكر؛ في حالنا، هل نحن راضون عن أنفسنا وحياتنا أم لا؟ هل نستحق ما معنا أم لا؟ هل نحن قانعون بمن معنا وبمهننا وبوضعنا في المجتمع أم لا؟ هل سنظل نجري لنملك المزيد؟ هل نسينا إنسانيتنا؟ هل نجري في حلقة مفرغة؟ ما هو الآخَر بالنسبة لنا؟ ما هو مبدؤنا في الحياة؟ من هو شريك حياتنا؟ هل يجب أن نتغير؟ هل الحب هو الاحتياج للآخر؟ هل فعلا ينفتح باب عندما يُغلق آخر؟ هل الفرص أبدية؟

 لقد أحببت فعلا فلسفة الرواية، وأحببت الحِكَم الكثيرة التي سُرِدت فيها والمفاجآت الفكرية التي تخلّلتها، كما أعجبتني وصدمتني نهايتها المفتوحة. هي رواية تحكي واقعنا، وتعكس عالمنا الغريب، الكبير الصغير. ما أغرب الحياة، وما أعقد النفس البشرية.

 دغدغت هذه الرواية ذكريات جميلة عشتها في مدينة العجائب دبي، ففي كل وصف لشارع أوحي أو مجمع تجاري لي ذكرى جميلة، وفي كل ركن من أركان هذه المدينة الآسرة عشت تجربة فريدة من نوعها. أنصح كل محبي نقشبندي، وكل محبي دبي، وكل محبي الرواية العربية بقراءة “ليلة واحدة في دبي“.  رواية مختلفة وفلسفة شّيقة مثيرة.

Category: Arab Societies, Books, Dubai Diaries, Posts in Arabic, Women | Comments Off on
ليلة واحدة في دبي