Category Archives: Politics Not As Usual

Virginity Tests: Time to Let Gender Out of Revolution’s Closet

Posted on June 6, 2011 | 3 Comments

A Thin Line Between Sex & Politics: Mona Eltahawy Asks What Revolution is Not About Gender? Image Credit: Flickr

There is no doubt that the recent revolution in Egypt got the wheels of the Arab Spring rolling. But just as quick as women were to flood the corners of Tahrir Square and the streets of Cairo in the hopes of a democratic Egypt, their voices were soon sidelined.

This is nothing uncommon. Even in conservative countries, we frequently see women come out in full force during political protests with little to no objection from the men. And this was not a first for Egyptian women who were heavily involved in Egypt’s 1919 revolution.

It is after the euphoria fades, after the dictator is placed under house-arrest when the political blueprint of a country is being determined that women are nowhere to be heard. We repeatedly see this. From Bangladesh’s ’71 War of Independence, to Iran in ’79, to Libya, Syria, and all over the Middle East today, where are the women at the decision-making table? Where are the women when it comes to forming the new government?

Bangladeshi Female "Freedom Fighters" Were Front & Center in the 1971 War of Independence. Image Credit: Flickr

Continue reading →

→ 3 Comments

Posted in Politics Not As Usual, Violence Against Women, Women's Rights=Human Rights

Tagged , , , ,

Strauss-Kahn: Powerful Men & the Women Who Defend Them

Posted on May 19, 2011 | Leave a comment

Former IMF Chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn Has Admitted to a "Woman Problem." Image Credit: Flickr

Very little surprised me about IMF Chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn‘s attempted rape of a New York hotel maid, and even less shocked me about his sketchy record on harassing women. Hello, can we say rich-white-male-power-entitlement-issues?

Apparently Strauss-Kahn’s “woman problem” was an open secret amongst journalists, especially female ones. His reputation was even celebrated and excused in France where he is known as the “Great Seducer.”

What is shocking as lurid details keep surfacing are not only the women coming out with new allegations, or confirming old ones against the embattled IMF Chief, but the women who are coming to his defense.

Continue reading →

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Politics Not As Usual, Violence Against Women

Tagged , , , , ,

Kate Middleton: To Obey or Succeed?

Posted on March 31, 2011 | Leave a comment

Prince William & Kate: To Obey or Succeed? Image Credit: Flickr

Amidst all the frenzy surrounding the upcoming Royal Wedding and what Kate will wear, Salon addresses a more important point: what will Miss Middleton say?

When Kate Middleton walks down the aisle to wed Prince William on April 29, spectators all over the world will be hanging on her every word. And the one they’ll be listening for in particular isn’t “love” or “cherish.” It’s “obey”… In 1981, William’s mother Diana dropped it from her vows to Prince Charles. But five years later, Sarah Ferguson slipped the word back into her wedding vows to Prince Andrew. And in 1999, Sophie Rhys-Jones did likewise when she tied the knot to Prince Edward.

Much good that little word did for Sarah or Sophie. The latter has all but disappeared from the public’s radar, and Sarah not only ended up divorcing Prince Andrew, but was last seen trying make money in some hotel room by selling access to her former husband. Can we say pathetic?

Salon states that the Palace, along with most other details, is remaining mum about whether Kate will “obey” or not. Archbishop Rowan Williams, who will marry the couple, had a report issued by his Council back in 2006 that labeled the word as outdated.

Continue reading →

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Politics Not As Usual, Women's Rights=Human Rights

Tagged , , , ,

Designers & Dictators: Vogue Highlights Fashion Over Freedom

Posted on March 10, 2011 | 7 Comments

One of the most electrifying outcomes of the recent protests in the Middle East & North Africa has been the shattering of myths about Arabs & Muslims that have for too long been fed to the West: the women are voiceless, passive creatures apathetic to their country’s political processes, and democracy is something we are not only incapable of handling, but do not desire to begin with.

Of course now the truth is out, and the whole world has witnessed the opposite: the deep yearning for democracy actually permeates the Arab world, and women are front and center of the protests. The youth from Tunisia to Egypt to Yemen to Libya have shown us they are willing to die for freedom.

Asma al- Assad's Designer Accessories Only Act As a Cover for Syria's Ruthless Dictatorship. Image Credit: Huffington Post

But Vogue has no interest in that. The iconic fashion publication has made it clear that when is comes to the Middle East they are more interested in the choice of designers of dictators, or more specifically their wives, as the recent profile of Syria’s First Lady Asma al-Assad proves.

The Wall Street Journal points out that the magazine, whose characterization of Asma (aptly titled “The Dictator’s Wife Wears Louboutins”) which concentrates on her couture and Chanel accessories, clearly missed the memo that tyrants are no longer trending in the Middle East:

The Assad family—first Hafez and now his son Bashar—has ruled Syria since 1970. In that time, they’ve killed 20,000 Syrians to put down an uprising in Hama, provoked civil war in Lebanon and then occupied the country to “keep peace,” built a secret nuclear-weapons facility modeled on North Korea’s, and established Damascus as a hub for terrorists from Hezbollah to Hamas and Islamic Jihad. All part of keeping their countrymen under foot for 40 years.

Let's Talk About Dior, Not Democracy: Like Asma, Queen Rania Does a Similar Job for Her Husband. Image Credit: Flickr

Continue reading →

→ 7 Comments

Posted in Politics Not As Usual, Women's Rights=Human Rights

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Anushay’s Point Featured in Forbes

Posted on February 28, 2011 | 3 Comments

Anushay Hossain in Forbes Woman.

An adapted and updated version of my original piece on how the Italian feminist movement has been impacted by the scandals of Silvio Berlusconi was featured in Forbes!

I could not be more excited.

You can view the piece, which compares the experiences of Bill Clinton to Silvio, and how women’s movements reacted to each instance here.

→ 3 Comments

Posted in Politics Not As Usual, Women's Rights=Human Rights

Tagged , , , ,

What February 21st Means for Bangladeshis

Posted on February 21, 2011 | 9 Comments

Today Bangladeshis stop to remember one of the most emotional and important dates in our country’s history. On this day in 1952, after the “Principles Committee of the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan” announced that Urdu would be the only state language of East and West Pakistan, a huge wave of protests erupted in Bangladesh, where the majority spoke Bengali.

Politicians joined students in their demonstrations, and the Pakistani Government responded by violently cracking down on the protesters. Over the course of one week, between February 21st-27th, 1952, they killed student demonstrators, some right in front of Dhaka Medical College.

Shaheed Minar is the monument which is dedicated to Bangladesh’s language martyrs, and it has become “an icon of the Bengalis’ pride in their culture and history, and of their resistance against imposition of all things foreign.”

On February 29th, 1956, Pakistan added Bengali as the second official state language after Urdu. Bangladesh won its independence from Pakistan in 1971.

Continue reading →

→ 9 Comments

Posted in Politics Not As Usual

Tagged , , , , ,

Italian Women To Berlusconi: Basta!

Posted on February 14, 2011 | 4 Comments

Recently I have been writing on how Arab and Muslim women have taken to the streets in political protest, shattering stereotypes in the process. Over the weekend we saw another group of women do the same, this time in Italy.

While Italian women are most commonly associated with the classic maternal image of “Mama,” the always cooking, nurturing domestic woman with her endless supply of pasta and babies, Italian Prime Minister, Silvio Berlusconi has cultivated another stereotype of Italian women as what else, but sex-objects.

Italy is Ranked 74th by the World Economic Forum in its Treatment of Women, 97th in Equal Opportunity, and 121st in Pay Equity. Image Credit: Reuters

Well, Italian women are not putting up with it anymore and they went out onto the streets to let everyone know. Under the official banner of “If Not Now, Then When?” thousands of Italian women protested across the country, in 230 cities in Italy and 28 cities around the world, holding signs that read, “Our country is not a whorehouse,” sending Berlusconi a clear message: Basta! (Italian for “enough”).

Obviously that is what these women have had- enough of Berlusconi’s scandals, and enough of his derogatory treatment of women. Anyone remember when he stacked his Parliament with attractive, but unqualified former beauty queens and actresses in countless and meaningless positions?

Things only got worse from there. Unless you have been living under a rock, for more than a year now Berlusconi has been fighting off investigation after investigation into his lurid “sex parties” at his various mansions and villas from Sardegna to Milan, with scores of young women. Things came to a head this year after allegations surfaced that the Premier had paid to have sex with Ruby, a 17yr old Moroccan belly dancer. Sex with minors is illegal in Italy.

Karima El Mahrough, aka "Ruby," the Now 18yr old Woman at the Center of Berlusconi's Latest Sex Scandal. Image Credit: Newsweek

Continue reading →

→ 4 Comments

Posted in Politics Not As Usual, Women's Rights=Human Rights

Tagged , , , , ,

The Fight for Democracy: How Protests in Egypt & Iran Shatter Myths About Muslim Women

Posted on February 3, 2011 | 16 Comments

Iranian women came out in full-force last year to defend their vote, shaping their country's revolt. Image Credit: Flickr

Anyone remember what one of the most striking images to surface from Iran’s uprising last summer over the fallout from the country’s so-called elections were? Iranian women protesting.

The world was shocked to see Iranians, 70% of whom are under that age of 25 yrs old, pour onto the streets demanding their votes be counted. But what was equally confusing for the world to witness was the huge role Iranian women played in shaping this revolt against their government.

Why should people be surprised? Iranian women, who make up 65% of university students in the country, are also amongst the most educated in the Middle East. They have been organizing underground for years under a regime that specifically targets their rights. In fact at the end of last summer’s bloody protests, it was the face of a woman, Neda Agha-Soltan, brutally shot to death by an Iranian government sniper, who became the defining symbol for the “Green Revolution.”

Women in Egypt Demand Mubarak Step Down. Image Credit: Facebook Group

We are witnessing a very similar movement in Egypt. And no, I am not talking about the fall of a “secular leader” (read: oppressive dictator backed by the US) in a Muslim country, thus leading to the creation of an Islamic State. I know this is the big fear of the West and the US media that the fall of Hosni Mubarak’s government, aka dictatorship, will only pave the way for Egypt to become the “new Iran.”

I am talking about young people coming out in full-force to fight for democracy. I am talking about young Muslims fighting for their freedoms and quite literally being killed for it. We saw it in Iran last year and we are seeing it in Egypt today. Their fight for freedom breaks the age-old stereotype that Arabs and Muslims do not want democracy and are incapable of handling it. Unless of course it is hand-delivered by the US through invasion, occupation, and in some kind of three-step program ushered in by USAID, right?

Continue reading →

→ 16 Comments

Posted in Politics Not As Usual, Women's Rights=Human Rights

Tagged , , , , , , ,

Trying To Eat, Pray & Love: How Your Citizenship Determines Your Travel

Posted on January 9, 2011 | 6 Comments

When I was 23 yrs old, I left my first job fresh out of college, most of my friends I made in college, and moved from Washington, DC to Italy. I knew no one, didn’t speak the language, and had one of the most incredible years of my life. It was such a bold period that I often look back on it and wonder where I got the courage to just up and go live in another country like that. Some things you really are brave enough to do only in your twenties!

Julia Roberts Ponders Her Future in La Bella Città, Rome. Image Credit: Flickr

So when Elizabeth Gilbert’s book, Eat, Pray, Love came out, everyone encouraged me to read it, promising me that this woman would be one I would instantly connect with not only because of her passion for Italian language and culture, but for her love of travel.

I could not get past the India portion of the book. Despite its massive popularity, I thought it was a cheesy self-help novel come to life. A divorced American woman sets out to find food in Italy, faith in India, and love in Bali? Yawn. Needless to say when the movie came out starring Julia Roberts, I still had little interest in this story.

This past December my husband and I set out to visit my Motherland, Bangladesh. It was a first for us both: The first time he was visiting my country, and the first time I was returning not only after a 3 1/2 year absence, but as a married woman.

My Husband & I at Lal Bagh Fort, a Mughal Fortress in Dhaka. Image Credit: Samier Mansur.

On the plane, Eat, Pray, Love was being shown in every language, on every channel for what seemed like the entirety of our 27 hour flight. Out of airplane boredom , I flipped to watch the movie and gave it my undivided attention.

I loved it. Although the film did not do as well as the book, and many people didn’t think it did the novel justice, I unexpectedly loved every second of the movie. And watched it three times back to back.

Continue reading →

→ 6 Comments

Posted in Politics Not As Usual

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Kate Middleton & the Trouble With Fairytales

Posted on November 23, 2010 | 4 Comments
Last week when news of Prince William’s engagement to long-time girlfriend Kate Middleton broke, I didn’t really have a reaction. After eight years of waiting around for her boyfriend (does it make a difference that he happens to be the future King of England?), I was happy for Kate that she finally got the ring she clearly was ready and willing to sacrifice plenty for.

And the Comparisons Begin: Prince William Proposes to Long-Time Girlfriend Kate Middleton With His Mother's Infamous Sapphire & Diamond Engagement Ring. Image Credit: Flickr

No feminist analysis immediately came to mind until the media world got in a frenzy with all the fairytale metaphors and princess puns. Then I stumbled onto this post over at Jezebel that made me realize the extent of Disney’s influence over our completely unrealistic and yes, even dangerous ideas of love, marriage and general approach to relationships.

Seriously, what gives? I know a lot of young women and girls hold fairytales extremely close to their hearts, but I didn’t realize the degree to which these stories of princesses being whisked away in their pumpkin-turned carriages, or being awoken after a few hundred years long nap by some blond dude that women actually try to materialize in their real lives. Or worse, wait around for to come true.

The Dangers of Carrying Fairytales Into Our Adulthood? Distorted Realities. Image Credit: Jezebel

No wonder we have such high divorce rates and dysfunctional relationships in the world! Are we really trying to reenact Disney? Do we really still harbor fantasies of being saved by some man, even secretly? Have we not understood by now that fairytales, as they are commonly described, are just stories that have not ended yet? Have we not figured out that rodents and birds, as cute as they may appear in Disney animations, will not be helping sew our dress for the ball?

Don’t get me wrong, growing up I wholeheartedly enjoyed my share of Disney animated features, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, Robin Hood, you name it I re-watched it countless times. But I am discovering that those story-lines did not influence me nearly as much as I see they have with other women and girls.

Continue reading →

→ 4 Comments

Posted in Politics Not As Usual, Women's Rights=Human Rights

Tagged , , , , , , , , ,