I really hadn't planned on it being so long...

[eumelia]

Mother unit is learning to play Bridge with a bunch of friends, while Moi is blogging about it in the corner of the living room, having been moved away from my regular spot behind the couch because the whole furniture arrangement had to be changed.

I dunno why.

Mummy is on a bit of a moving around spree because we're going to get the whole house (my room not included as it was painted less than two years ago) so there is a cleaning frenzy because this is an opportunity to get rid of things she had been trying to for years.
Personally, this is a chance to, um, attain more books from the old bookshelves in the various (every single one of the) rooms that contain books.

There is something to be said about "Summer Cleaning".

For instance, I found a book I forgot I had and got another in, oddly, the same subject: Nonie Darwish's "Now They Call Me Infidel" and Ayaan Hirsi-Ali's "Infidel", respectively.
I have issues with some of their politics, but as women from "Muslim" countries now living in the "West" they have a unique perspective of those countries and I think a lot of people on the Left choose to ignore what these women say because they're used (and enable) certain aspects of media to use their (valid, in their experience) criticisms of Islam and the cultures they come from to show Islam as entirely anti-Woman and incapable of evolving from the "Barabrism" it's currently in - yeah, I know, *vomit*.
None the less, if you can, it's important to read what they have to say, even if I disagree with a lot of their politics.

And here's something interesting; it would appear that British Muslims feel like European Jews. This was said by First British Muslim Minister Shahid Malik who is basically saying that Muslims are targets of prejudice and discrimination, etc. etc.
Links to the articles in The Independent and Reuters.

Now, while no doubt Minister Malik has legitimate claims of discrimination towards Muslims, I mean, duh. I have a problem with the comparison to Jews. I mean, the Jews of Europe were and are treated like European Jews, just because there was an eradication attempt doesn't mean there aren't any left and in England there are quite a few Jews.
I'm sorry to say that antisemitism really isn't gone and to compare the rise in anti-Muslim and anti-Islam sentiment to the fact that antisemitism in it's current (racial) form has been around for nearly 200 years.
The anti-Muslim and anti-Islam is on the rise and has risen because of the West's (re: the USA since the Second World War and became the planet's most destructive butt-insky) constant need of an Evil Enemy.

It's West bloc vs. East bloc.

What I'm saying is, like a lot of things to do with Jews, Antisemitism is uniqe and to try and pretend it doesn't exist anymore by trying to say that Jews have been replaced by a new scapegoat doesn't sit well with me.

Huh.
This entry turned much longer than I intended... forgive me folks, my rants tend to get the better of me.

Comments

[schemingreader.livejournal.com]

It's an imperfect comparison, but I think it is useful--the comparison between anti-Jewish and anti-Muslim discrimination in Europe, I mean. I hope he's using it as a way to build alliances with Jews, because that would be a good thing. It disgusts me to see how our communities in the West are pitted against each other, when in many ways we have common interests as religious minorities.

[stateofwonder.livejournal.com]

Generally, comparing opressions just leads to one side or another getting pissed off about it, no matter how well-meaning. Usually they're not terribly useful, either.

[eumelia.livejournal.com]

Reading the article doesn't convince me that he's looking to an alliance with Jews (though he should as Rabbi Jonathan Sacks is a big influence in English politics), but was trying to conflate the discriminations each community goes through.
Which, imo, isn't a positive. I wouldn't compare sexism and racism... intersectionality must also be put into the equation obviously.

[eumelia.livejournal.com]

That's what I'm saying... only your words are better.

[hemlock-sholes.livejournal.com]

Don't tease us - what do these women have to say? What are your issues with them? What is the "left" saying about them?
Curious minds want to know!

BTW, the anti-Muslim/Islam is on the rise because of the West's need for an Evil Enemy?
I guess it's got nothing to do with pesky little things like 11/9, 7/7 or even reading about a group of Saudi school children who burnt to death in their school because they weren't allowed to flee the burning building - because they weren't wearing the right clothes!

Nah, obviously the white, western patriarchy is solely responsible for the negative view of Islam...

[hemlock-sholes.livejournal.com]

Unlike communities in the East?
Tibet/China?
Japan/Korea?
Mongolia/Everyone else? ;)

As far as I know, there's only one continent where there have been no wars or acts of massive brutality - Antartica.

[eumelia.livejournal.com]

11/9, 7/7 didn't come יש מאין and neither do the Qassam attacks, I refuse to believe you are so naive as to believe that radical Islam and those who push simply do not like democracy and "freedom" and are fighting to destroy Western "lifestyle".

As for the Saudi gender "apartheid", you'll recall that the Taliban was also accused of this and nothing was done to stop their treatment of women until they were invaded sue to 11/9. Right now Saudi Arabia isn't an enemy of the USA, why should they bother with what goes on inside it, despite it being completely immoral and inhumane.

How was Afghanistan different from Saudi Arabia when it came to their treatment of women?

White, Western, Imperialist, Patriarchy is responsible for a lot of things, including the stereotyping and the simplification of those it "fights" to preserve and lest we forget, spread democracy.

[hemlock-sholes.livejournal.com]

Let's put a few things in order:
1. The Quassam attacks do not affect the average westerners opinion of Islam, therefore their cause is irrelevant to this conversation.

2. Of course 11/9 and 7/7 did not come into the world out of nothing, but are you saying that Pearl Harbor was caused wholly and solely because there was an oil embargo on the Japanese? or are you saying that Pearl Harbor, 11/9 and 7/7 were justified and run-of-the-mill acts of war?

3. About Afghanistan/Saudi Arabia - I don't understand the distinction you're making. Are you saying that there was no discrimination against Afghanistan? Or are you saying that there is no negative portrayal of Saudis in the media? I assume that it was not much different, but I don't recall either country getting any sympathy for it's portrayal of women.

4. Last I checked, stereotyping and simplification is a sport the whole species enjoys:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dar_al-Harb http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaikokujin
Isn't it *Amazing* how peaceful the world was before the Forces of Evil(tm) spread out of Europe and North America? Everyone living in peace and prosperity.
Well, maybe except those in North and South America who were hunted down and killed by Native Americans, Incas and Aztecs.
Oh, and maybe the various African tribes which warred between each other before the Christians/Moslems arrived.
Wait a minute, didn't the Chinese have whole periods of civil war a few thousand years back?
And I'm surprised the Koreans still bear grudges against the Japanese.
At least the New Zealanders have stopped eating each other.
Wait a minute... these examples negate my theory that it's White, Western, Imperialist Patriarchy which is responsible for all of this (at least, it's the only group worth blaming)

What to do, what do to...

[eumelia.livejournal.com]

Are you seriously trying to justify the last 300 years of history by completely ignoring colonialism?

You know something, when it comes to power, Europe and America have it all; the use of the "Third World"'s resources for their own benefit certainly has an effect on how the people who live there actually live.

And as for #4 where exactly did I mention that there was a ever a time of peace? Have you ever read or heard me say anythings resembling historical apocrypha - mistakes I make, so does everyone - but ignoring what actually happened?! The only place I see that happening is in your comment.

And BTW, The Incas and Aztecs were wiped out be the Spanish Conquistadors and as for the North American Native Nations I do believe you've heard of the Manifest Destiny (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manifest_Destiny#Native_Americans)?

[hemlock-sholes.livejournal.com]

You are STRONGLY implying that the ills of the world have one, and only one, cause : The "West".

Is the West to blame that the Chinese frittered away their early advantages?
Do you honestly think that if the Aztecs had come to Europe their rule would have been less bloody?

The grandson of an African cook has a roughly 50% chance of being the leader of the most powerful(if measured by military might) country in the world.
That is the reality, the result of 2,800 years of "Western" civilization.

Tell me of another country, civilization, society, time where such a man could rise to power _peacefully_?
Now tell me if this is good or bad.
(This is not necessarily support of Obama, just of the fact that he has the opportunity)

Make a list of 10 GOOD things in the world.
Now tell me what society created/caused them.

[eumelia.livejournal.com]

1) Seeing as today many of the worlds ills are caused by the West's need to dominate the world.
Then yeah.

2) May I ask you why you have this need to compare other humans humanity all the time? Why must you compare the treatment of disenfanchised populations in different countries? I've noticed you do this quite a lot.
What difference could it possibly make if the Aztecs, or Incas or anybody took over Europe and not the other way around.
We have no way of knowing what would have happened, just like we have no way of knowing what kind of society we would have if it were Matriarchal.
Was Mongolia's empire more bloody than any other? Don't think so.

3) Please read a little bit more about racism in America before you start saying that the US is so progressive when it comes to minorities. It's not.
Also, unlike the majority of other black people in the US, Obama did not come from a working class background or a ghetto.
That also makes a difference.
I'm not saying you're wrong, but you're very much oversimplifying things... as you've done throughout this discussion.

I'm not reducing things to West is Evil and Must Be Destroyed - The West (isn't a monolith, just like the East isn't, however), for the past, I dunno, at least 500 years has spread itself over the world as the ruling culture making everything that isn't it different, thus deficient, thus in need of fixing.
It's the arrogance, more than anything, and like it or not, this arrogance is not liked or appreciated by many, many people and peoples all over the world, who may or may not have have developed in a different way - we'll never know what Africa would have looked like without colonialism and cross-Atlantic slavery, will we?

4) As for 10 GOOD things in the world: Cats, Trees, Silk, Tattoos, Medicine, Beaches, Hats, Computers, Water and Books.
Computers - West, Silk - East and the Twain met long, long ago.