| Topic: |
Politics > Politics-USA |
| User: |
"Harry Hope" |
| Date: |
12 Jun 2005 05:10:47 PM |
| Object: |
Women's rights? Just another Laura Bush photo-op, nothing more. |
From The East Texas Review
http://www.easttexasreview.com/story.htm?StoryID=2644&now=61143
Vol.8 No.345 -- JUNE 9 - 16, 2005
‘Women's rights are just propaganda in Washington
by Martha Burke
Last week was quite something for women in the Middle East.
Those living under oppressive regimes got a cheerleading visit from
Laura Bush, who touted women’s rights all over the region.
Those fighting in the U.S. military in Iraq got a kick in the pants
from conservatives in the Republican Congress, who sought to limit the
jobs female soldiers can perform and make them second-class military
citizens.
Mrs. Bush declared at the World Economic Forum that new freedoms
granted to women in Kuwait (where women recently got the vote), and
Afghanistan (where women have nominal rights but still wear the burqua
out of fear for their lives) prove that equal rights are compatible
with Islam and Arab culture.
Too bad her husband can’t make the same statement about American
culture and his fundamentalist Christian base.
The Republican Party was the first to put the Equal Rights Amendment
to the U.S. Constitution in its party platform, in 1940, and the first
to take it out -- in 1980.
The amendment fell three states short of ratification, largely due to
the efforts of Jerry Falwell and Phyllis Schlafly, who now stand
staunchly at Bush’s side.
As he seeks to dismantle Title IX and further restrict reproductive
freedom, the president is well aware that without constitutional
protection, laws protecting women from discrimination are only as good
as the will of Congress, which seems bent on pushing women back to the
1950s.
Laura B. also told the world that "Human rights require the rights of
women."
She should tell her husband.
The United States of America is the only developed country on earth
that has not ratified the worldwide women’s human rights treaty known
as CEDAW.
The treaty not only guarantees political rights, but equal education
for girls and economic opportunity for women.
With the Senate firmly in Republican hands, a word from the president
would be all that’s needed to bring it to the floor for a vote.
But Bush allies say CEDAW amounts to an international Equal Rights
Amendment.
So in the administration’s logic, what’s good enough for indigenous
women in the Middle East is not good enough for U.S. women in the
Middle East, who are there fighting for those democratic ideals that
get served up every day along with the body counts.
The bid to limit female participation in our military was ultimately
scuttled by an unlikely advocate for women -- Defense Secretary Donald
Rumsfeld.
He admitted we couldn’t fight Bush’s war without women soldiers
alongside the men in Iraq.
Maybe if we ever get a guarantee of rights for women in the U.S.
constitution, we will also get a guarantee that presidents -- and
their wives -- quit practicing hypocrisy in the name of women’s
equality.
_________________________________________________________
Laura would spend her time more effectively by taking driving lessons.
Harry
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| User: "" |
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| Title: Re: Women's rights? Just another Laura Bush photo-op, nothing more. |
12 Jun 2005 11:57:14 PM |
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Harry Hope wrote:
From The East Texas Review
Mrs. Bush declared at the World Economic Forum that new freedoms
granted to women in Kuwait (where women recently got the vote), and
Afghanistan (where women have nominal rights but still wear the burqua
out of fear for their lives) prove that equal rights are compatible
with Islam and Arab culture.
I note that she did not mention the woman, reported in the Washington
Post, who -- in one of the remote provinces of Afghanistan -- was
STONED to death by the community when found to have committed
adultery.
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| User: "Topaz" |
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| Title: Re: Re: Women's rights? Just another Laura Bush photo-op, nothing more. |
13 Jun 2005 07:52:35 PM |
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Assallaamu Alaykum Wa Rahmatullaahi Wa Barakaatuhu wrote:
"Respected Brothers/Sisters in Islam,
The Taliban and Women
"The treatment of women in Afghanistan is a subject that the Western
Media
and Feminists have concentrated their ideological warfare efforts on.
They
have based their 'reports' and analyses on a number of interviews with
Communist women, whose idea of 'freedom' is similar to the freedom
given to
women in the West, i.e...."
"Women's Life Conditions Presently and Under Rabbani Regime
The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan is fully committed to the social,
cultural and economic development of women. The government has been
able to
protect the honor, life and property of Afghan women. Contrary to the
situation under the Rabbani regime, women can now be outside their
houses
safely without the fear of being kidnapped, raped or looted. They no
longer
fear conditions that were common during the Rabbani regime. According
to
amnesty international reports of 1992-95, women in Afghanistan bore
the
brunt of the atrocities by the Rabbani regime and other armed
factions.
Irresponsible commanders and gunmen not only violated the honor of
women by
raping them but mutilated women's bodies and in many cases, cut their
breasts etc. Similarly, common was murder, torture and execution of
our
people by the armed factions. Due to the intolerable atrocities, the
Taleban
Islamic Movement emerged to deliver the defenseless Afghan people from
the
cruel hands of the warlords. One should ask oneself, is women's
freedom to
be raped with their breasts cut, or is it to freely live their lives
without
fear of even comments being made at them. The former regime that did
not
serve the country had employed women in a number of sectors without
any real
need. Some of them were used just for the sexual entertainment of the
bureaucracy. Due to the ineffective and immoral institutions, they
have
temporarily been relieved of their duties. The government pays them
their
salaries regularly. But women whose work is really needed, are still
working
in the health, education and security sectors. As conditions in the
country
improve, so will, doubtlessly, job opportunities for women.
Restoration of Women's Safety, Dignity and Freedom
Being highly concerned about the well-being of its female citizens,
the
Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, soon introduced measures to put a stop
to
the miserable living conditions under which the women lived in Kabul.
After
the communists took over in Kabul, they began to exploit women for the
purpose of advancing their political and social agendas. In spite of
war
condition in the country and with no work in the offices, the
communist
regime forced a large number of women to attend government offices
only for
their amusement. The Islamic Emirate decided to pay the salaries of
these
women at their homes, so that they could stay home and take care of
their
families and children. The purpose of this policy is to help revive
the
Afghan family and household, as the foundation of the Afghan society,
a
foundation that was intentionally destroyed by the communist regime...
"
www.spearhead-uk.com http://www.natvan.com
http://www.thebirdman.org http://www.RealNews247.com
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