Archive for
April 1st, 2007

   

Stories

Lebanon: Pains and the Arab Summit

Moussa Bashir · 03:41 · Middle East & North Africa
lingua → es

suzanne painting

This week is about posts expressing pain; pain due to sexual harassment; insecurity and the consequences of war; and because of the political uncertainty that the Arab Summit did little to alleviate. There is also a book review and a computer graphic tutorial.

Poetry and Painting:

“The window is the wound of the wall. The door is a closed mirror. You know, bricks also feel pain.” These brilliant metaphors written by Suzanne Alaywan are graphic in their own right nevertheless she incorporated them in one of her paintings.


Sexual Harassment:

The ugly and shameful act of sexual harassment that women and girls could sometimes be subjected to is the topic of this post by Sham. The personal nature of the experiences mentioned add to its already acknowledged significance:

Did you know that I get ready to sexual harassment as i shot the door?
Did you know that I’ve seen naked guys on my way to school?
Did you know when was the last time I saw guy masturbating in front me as I am taking a taxi? Last month
Did you know that I never shut up to sexual harassments?
Did you know that I am blamed for not shutting up?
Did you know that guys harass western girls because they think that White is superior?
Did you know that guys harass Syrian girls because they think Syrian girls are inferior?
Did you know that I am not a feminist?
Did you know that I am not normal?
Did you know that I used to be normal?
Did you know that you (men) have no idea what I am talking about?

(more…)

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Chile: Day of the Young Fighter

A small portrait of the translator Rosario Lizana · 02:19 · Americas
lingua → es

protests

Universidad del Bio Bio Concepción

During Chile's dictatorship period, two brothers, Rafael and Eduardo Vergara were murdered. They were fighting against the government. Since then, some associations in Chile celebrate the day of the “young fighter.” This in not an official government issue. Unfortunately for us, the meaning of the celebration, related to struggle against Augusto Pinochet, has been forgotten. On Thursday, in the centre of the capitol, young students made disruptions and disorder in the name of the “young fighter.” They also said they were going to protest against the failure of Santiago's new transportation system.  Bloggers reacted immediately. Solylunnyta [ES] described the emotional atmosphere:

Que yo sepa, los jóvenes Rafael y Eduardo Vergara, tenían conciencia y una lucha muy clara….pelear por sus compañeros y sacar el gobierno dictatorial de don finao… Pero estos niños no tienen ni idea de quienes eran los hermanos Vergara¡¡¡…. no tienen ni idea cuales son sus ideales aún, ni menos saben cuales eran los ideales de los Combatientes de antaño….Apuesto lo que quieran que si les preguntan no tienen ni idea quienes eran los Vergara Toledo…. Además, por otro lado, queda claro que el tema no era el Transantiago y buscarle una solución… El tema era o la Piedra, ó la Molotov, ó la escopeta hechiza, o el saqueo, pero nada que ver con conmemorar esta fecha…

As far as I know, the young Rafael and Eduardo Vergara, had conscience and a really clear struggle … to fight for their peers and remove the dictatorship. But these kids don’t have any idea of who the Vergara brothers even were!!! They don’t even know what their ideals are and far less what the ideals of the combats of the past were … I bet you anything that if someone were to ask them who the Vergara Toledo brothers were, they wouldn't know … And furthermore, it is clear that the issue was not Transantiago and to search for a solution … The issue was the stone to throw, the Molotov, the homemade-shotgun, the looting, but nothing to do with the commemoration of this date.

(more…)

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