Global Voices Online

Peru: Newspaper Questions Spanish Language Proficiency of Indigenous Congresswoman

lingua → zht · zhs · id · fr

The Lima newspaper Correo published a front page story [es] about the low level of Spanish language proficiency by the indigenous Congresswoman Hilaria Supa and saying that in order to be a Congressional representative one should have a minimum level of education. As a result, the Peruvian blogosphere put forth various opinions including agreeing that legislators should speak and write well. There are also accusations of racism and discrimination.

Nila Vigil of Instituto Linguístico de Invierno [es] repudiates the Correo newspaper and its editor Aldo Mariátegui:

Cuando he leído lo escrito en Correo me he llenado de rabia e indignación. Se ha descalificado a la congresista Supa porque no tiene una escritura “correcta” del castellano y se ha pretendido que en el parlamento no pueden estar representados todos los peruanos sino solo los que saben leer y escribir “bien” (aunque sabe Dios qué signifique eso). O sea, la palabra no vale sino que “papelito manda”. Yo no creo que es así y por suerte tampoco el Congreso lo cree y ha condenado al diario Correo y se ha solidarizado con la congresista Supa.

When I read what Correo wrote, I was filled with anger and outrage. The Congresswoman Supa was discredited because she does not have the “correct” writing in Spanish and they intend that all Peruvians cannot be represented in Parliament, only those that know how to read and write “well” (even though God knows what that means). In other words, someone's word does not count, only their “titles and diplomas.” I don't think it is like that and thankfully neither does Congress and it has condemned the Correo newspaper and is in solidarity with Congresswoman Supa.

Miguel Rodríguez Mondoñedo of La Peña Linguística [es] provides examples of linguistic differences and says that the newspaper is trying to point out spelling and grammar mistakes, but essence they are providing the opportunity to “ridicule a political adversary.” Gustavo Faverón of Puente Aéreo [es] has no trouble in calling the editor Mariátegui a racist and says that he judges Congresswoman Supa's personality through her grasp of written Spanish.

Silvio Rendón of Gran Combo Club [es] sees the political context of the proposal to require higher education in order to be a Congressional representative:

Bueno, la intención es clara: excluir las opciones políticas con las que no se coincide. La democracia actual estaría permitiendo que las opciones “humalistas” tengan una numerosa representación congresal. Se trata de cerrarles el paso cambiando los requisitos para ser elegidos. Hace cuarenta años los analfabetos no podían votar, con lo cual en el departamento del Cusco sólo votaba el 5% de la población en edad de votar. Los campesinos más pobres e indígenas que eran analfabetos no tenían representación, con lo cual el congreso no pasaba leyes que los pueda beneficiar. Hoy se trata de erigir barreras de entrada a la actividad política, con un objetivo parecido.

Well, the intention is clear: exclude political options of those you don't agree. The current democracy permits that those associated with (former presidential candidate Ollanta) Humala to have numerous representation in Congress. They are trying to block their path by changing the requirements for those elected. Forty years ago, illiterates were not able to vote, and in the department of Cusco only 5% of voting age voted. The poorest peasants and indigenous were illiterates and did not have representation, and in that case, Congress did not pass laws to benefit them. Now it has to do with barriers to entrance to political activity, a similar objective.

Not everyone agrees, the blog Sale Caliente [es] writes:

una congresista (Hilaria Supa) se ha sentido humillada por que un periodista (Aldo Mariátegui) dice que escribe mal, y muestra pruebas. O sea, ¿ahora ya no se puede hablar mal de nadie? ¿y donde quedó la libertad de opinión y expresión? A este paso terminarán bajandose a todos los diarios, programas de radio y televisión, y ¡cuidado! hasta a los bloggers. … Es muy fácil hablar de racismo y discriminación. Nada se puede criticar. O sea, la señora se agarra del tema del racismo para tapar una gran verdad: no sabe escribir en castellano, es más, tampoco lo habla bien. … Pero, saber hablar y escribir si es importante. Y en vez de sentirse ofendida y discriminada, la congresista Hilaria Supa debería sentirse avergonzada, y debería preocuparse por estudiar.

a congresswoman (Hilaria Supa) has felt humiliated by a journalist (Aldo Mariategui) who said she that writes poorly and shows proof of it. So, now we can not speak ill of anyone? And where was the freedom of opinion and expression? In this manner, they will drop all newspapers, radio and television programs, and be careful! even bloggers. … It is very easy to talk about racism and discrimination. Nothing can be criticized. That is, the woman holds onto the issue of racism to cover a big truth: she cannot write in Castilian Spanish, and even does not speak it well. … But knowing how to speak and write is important. And instead of feeling offended and discriminated against, Congresswoman Hilaria Supa should feel ashamed, and should worry about studying.

The blogger from Perú es Babel [es] poses a couple of questions about these claims:

Por otra parte eso de querer hablar en quechua todo el tiempo en el congreso cuando sabe bien que sus interlocutores no le van a entender, ir con ropas “típicas” y hacerse la discriminada de todo y por todo no son más que una pose para hacerse la más peruana de todas las peruanas del ande. Pose y nada más. Más allá de la pose cabe la pregunta: ¿Qué hace en el congreso la Sra. Supa? Es decir ¿Qué ha hecho hasta ahora?

On the other hand, wanting to talk in the quechua language all the time knowing that that others will not understand, wearing “typical” clothes and to act discriminated against are nothing more acts of a poseur. Nothing more than a poseur. Beyond the point, the question is raised: What does Mrs. Supa do in Congress? Meaning, what has she done up until now?

Matt from The ONE Blog [es] pushes for the annulation of the obligatory vote:

ME INDIGNA QUE EN EL CONGRESO DEL PAÍS EN EL QUE VIVO, HAYA GENTE GANANDO MILES DE SOLES OBTENIDOS DE MIS IMPUESTOS ESCRIBA PEOR QUE UN REGGAETONERO DE 10 AÑOS MANDANDO SMS EN UN CELULAR SIN DOS TECLAS. Mariátegui se mide, pide que se cancele el voto obligatorio y se instaure el voto preferencial; yo sigo pidiendo lo de hace años, cancelen el voto obligatorio, olviden el voto preferencial e instauren el voto restringido para la gente con un mínimo de conocimientos prácticos para elegir a los más capacitados. Ciérrenle la puerta a todos los ignorantes e incapaces ya sea que se apelliden “Supa”, “López”, “Fuentes del Río” o “Goldstein” y permitan que ingresen los “Quispe”, “Linares”, “Posada de Gamboa” o “Levesque” que tienen la suficiente experiencia profesional como para dirigir este país y llevarlo a buen puerto.

I AM OUTRAGED THAT IN MY COUNTRY'S CONGRESS THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE EARNING THOUSANDS OF SOLES OF MY TAXES WRITE WORSE THAN A 10-YEAR-OLD REGAAETON ARTIST AND SENDS SMS ON A CELL WITHOUT TWO KEYS. Mariategui is measured, called the cancellation the of mandatory voting and the installation of preferential voting, which I have been asking about for years, to cancel compulsory voting, preferential voting and implement restricted voting to those people with minimal skills in order to choose the most qualified. Close the door to all the ignorant and incapable people named “Supa”, “Lopez”, “Fuentes del Río” or “Goldstein” and allow the entry of “Quispe”, “Linares”, “Posada de Gamboa” or “Levesque” that have enough experience to lead this country and take it forward.

Supa addressed Congress [es] saying that she is proud of where she is from and will not lower herself to anyone. From that moment, she indicated that all of her Congressional speeches will be in quechua. While there is not a consensus view with the ingredients sensitive to Peruvians in respect to racism, it is interesting to read the different positions on the issue and draw out the best of them.

8 comments · read »

Egypt: Combating H1N1 with pigs culling

Eman AbdElRahman · 00:53, May 2nd, 2009 · Middle East & North Africa

lingua → zht · zhs · es · bn

While the world is busy trying to figure out a way for necessarily precautions to stop swine flu or H1N1 from spreading, the Egyptian government decided to take one more step forward and cull all pigs in the country. Since then bloggers, as well as mainstream media, have been engaged in a long debate whether this is a wise decision, or whether the crisis should have been managed in a better way. Some are convinced Egypt should get rid of all pigs as soon as possible, so as not to repeat its experience with bird flu. Others are curious to know how the government will reward the pig farmers.

Maryanne, an American expat living in Egypt, wrote a short post with her reaction about the slaughter:

It was announced on international news that the Egyptian government would force farmers to slaughter all their pigs to prevent swine flu. This is almost as intelligent as Paris Hilton telling people that she wasn't worried about it because she doesn't eat pork. The pigs are irrelevant at this stage. The flu is transmitted from human contact and according to some WHO officials isn't nearly the threat that the bird flu is. I suspect the combination of the word “swine”, the cultural taboo on pork, and the almost universal ignorance among bureaucrats of how disease is spread is almost irresistible. There are quite a number of modern, properly run pig farms in Egypt…just as we have quite a few properly run examples of almost anything here…except maybe government officials

Moftasa, an Egyptian doctor who was as provoked as Maryanne, wrote two posts. One of them asks if people really think slaughtering pigs in Egypt will prevent swine flu from entering through the airport:

Swine flu will enter Egypt through its borders and not from pigs. The funds that will go in compensating farmers can be better directed to improve the appalling sanitation of the pig farms and the conditions of their farmers not to the eradication of a local variety of an entire specie.

Then Alaa, replied to Moftasa's twitter that he believes there might be a sectarian zeal behind such decision.

Bent Masrya, a female blogger, wrote her thoughts against the government's decision, despite her hatred towards pigs - as she admitted:

انا مش مضطرة أوضح اني مسلمة وعارفة ان اكل الخنازير حرام، بس كمان عارفة ان قتل/صيد الحيوانات من غير سبب حرام. والخنزير رغم اني مش بحبه “عشان شكله وحش”، ومش بحب ابص له حتى، لكن كراهيتي الطفولية دي ليه ماينفعش تعميني عن ادراك حقهم في الحياة.. طول ما هم مش مصابين ولا نيلة

I'm not obliged to point out that I am a Muslim, who knows that eating pigs is haram (prohibited), but I also know that killing / hunting without a reason is haram. And although I don't like pigs “because they are ugly,” my childish hatred should not blind me from realizing their right to live - as long as they are not infected.

In agreement with Moftasa, Bent Masrya expressed her fear that the flu might hit Egypt though the borders, especially after the discovery of two infected cases in Israel:

اسرائيل اللي هي جارتنا لزم عندها حالتين اصابة، ومعروف طبعا ان المواطنين الاسرائيليين بيقدروا يدخلوا سينا من غير تأشيرات -بموجب معاهدة السلام- يا ترى هنعمل ايه وهنواجه موقف العدوى ازاي.. وخصوصا ان انفلونزا الخنازير بتتنقل من انسان لإنسان

Two infected cases have been discovered in Israel, which is our direct neighbor, and it's well known that Israeli citizens are allowed to enter Sinai without a visa -according to the peace treaty between Egypt and Israel. So I wonder how will we face this situation especially that swine flu transfers are now between people.

AbdelRahman Ayyash, who didn't agree with Bent Masrya's opinion, commented to her post:

القرار و لو كان في ظاهره ان في ظلم للخنازير في مصر ، فاحنا عندنا ادارة الازمات .. لو حصل و الانفلونزا اتنقلت لمصر ، هتبقى مجزرة ، هيبقى وباء حقيقي .. انتي متخيلة معنى ان المرض يتنقل من انسان لانسان في بلد زي مصر سكانها كلهم متركزين في اقل من 4% من مساحتها .. متخيلة هيبقى الوباء عامل ازاي؟
[…].
و على فكرة ان اتمنعت تربية الدواجن في البيوت وقت انفلونزا الطيور ، و لو حصل ده للخرفان او لأي ماشية تانية .. الموضوع اعتقد هيبقى خلصان
الحكومة مش بتكره الخنازير يعني فعشان كده خدت القرار ده

Even if the decision might seem unjust to pigs in Egypt, we have a crisis management. If the flu entered Egypt, it will be a real pandemic, that might cause a human massacre. Do you imagine the meaning of the disease's ability to transfer between humans in a country like Egypt - where all citizens are centralized in less than 4 per cent of the country's area?.. Can you imagine how the pandemic will look like?
[…]
And by the way, if raising poultry in houses was banned at the time of bird flu, and if this happened to any other cattle or sheep, I think there will be no problems.
The government doesn't hate pigs to take such action.

@Fustat asking why "Swine flu" has been named to H1N1 just after Egypt decided to kill all "swines" in the country.

Egyptian Watchman, a blogger and human rights activist who started a fierce fight against the government decision of culling 300,000 pigs, highlighted other important precautions people should follow to prevent infection on the individual level.

Similarly, Ghawayesh, in a post entitled save miss piggy, named a few benefits of keeping pigs to the balance of the eco-system, as well as highlighting other important precautions to fight the disease starting from now.

On the other hand, Zeinobia who was with killing the pigs, discussed her concerns towards the dirty conditions Egyptian pigs are brought up in, that might as well be one of the reasons behind spreading of bird flu before. She also criticized the opinions that claimed killing pigs will lead to sectarian division.

Those dirty pigs should be eliminated as soon as possible ,we can’t jeopardize the life of millions for no good reason. Already you can’t imagine how those pigs live or where they live in ,they do not suffer yet from H1N1 but for sure the unhealthy environment they live will make them suffer from other diseases.
[…]
Those pigs are raised eating garbage only with no medical care , only now the ministries of agriculture and health are paying attention to them !!
Please do not tell me this will lead to a sectarian division as this is the most ridiculous talk I have heard because for years now we are speaking about how dangerous those pigs are in Egypt in the time of H5N1 !! I do not know why no one has objected when poultry were eliminated from three years ago !!

She further explained how she thinks the disease might spread, due the lack of medical awareness on the part of the pigs' owners and garbage collectors:

Now if the pigs are infected ,they will infect the farmers and their kids whom by their turn will infect other people in a direct contact including the garbage collectors and the garbage collectors have a direct contact hundreds of citizens !!! We are talking about uncontrolled industry.

On the other hand, Mohamed Hani notified his readers about a new Twitter account to follow global Swine flu updates, and as usual Hossam was in solidarity but with pigs -this time- against the slaughter.

Photo by Per Bjorklund — People's uproar in Ezbet el-Nekhl after the government's decision to slaughter all pigs in Egypt.

You can also check Per Bjorklund's photographs set on flickr from Ezbet el-Nakhl, were pig farmers and garbage collectors were in an uproar over the government's decision to kill all pigs over the “pig flu pandemic”, and his thoughts ; and visit Egyptian Facebook groups with and against the government's decision to cull all pigs: Egypt without pigs, cull all Egyptian pigs, and together to get rid of pigs.

12 comments · read »