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A review by jiujensu
Our Women on the Ground: Essays by Arab Women Reporting from the Arab World by Zahra Hankir
4.0
The media and halls of power are still dominated by men. Works like this aim to change that. These essays are all by Arab women reporters and journalists, so they'll help bridge the gender divide and teach you about the Middle East. I think I have a better idea what's going on in Syria after this one.
Shamael Elnoor quoted what may have been her work: "Islamic regimes are concerned about virtue, women's dress, and appearance more than health and education issues." I can't help thinking about our Republican party and Christian fundamentalists missing the important issues of healthcare and housing and clean water and focusing on restricting women's rights.
Asmaa Al-Ghoul is a Palestinian journalist who really exemplifies two common conflicts- the work vs family and activist vs journalism.
Heba Shibani's essay stands out as a self taught journalist. She reported on human rights abuses of anti-Gadaffi people running illegal prisons and was denounced as pro-Gadaffi or pro-Islamist. This immediately brought to mind in the US leftist criticism of corporate neoliberalism of the old guard DNC. You can't criticize Obama or Pelosi or Clinton without Democrats calling you a Trump supporter.
Zaina Erhaim and the next one are two sides of a coin or trade off. Zaina is from a very conservative Syrian area and she extensively self-censors- even has a "Can't Be Punished" file. She says she's only done two years of free reporting - when protests broke out in earnest and there was hope. On the up side, she did have access to women's areas remaining in the country's good graces and brought to light important injustices.
Zeina Karan's essay came right after Zaina's, so was an easy contrast. When she was faced with the choice to stay in the government's good graces or continue in facts, she didn't hesitate to do the latter. It may have been easier given that she is Lebanese with some relatives in Syria in that she was familiar enough with Syria, but grew up a bit more liberal.
All of the stories are amazing - so many different approaches and ways of achieving bringing out the truth.
Shamael Elnoor quoted what may have been her work: "Islamic regimes are concerned about virtue, women's dress, and appearance more than health and education issues." I can't help thinking about our Republican party and Christian fundamentalists missing the important issues of healthcare and housing and clean water and focusing on restricting women's rights.
Asmaa Al-Ghoul is a Palestinian journalist who really exemplifies two common conflicts- the work vs family and activist vs journalism.
Heba Shibani's essay stands out as a self taught journalist. She reported on human rights abuses of anti-Gadaffi people running illegal prisons and was denounced as pro-Gadaffi or pro-Islamist. This immediately brought to mind in the US leftist criticism of corporate neoliberalism of the old guard DNC. You can't criticize Obama or Pelosi or Clinton without Democrats calling you a Trump supporter.
Zaina Erhaim and the next one are two sides of a coin or trade off. Zaina is from a very conservative Syrian area and she extensively self-censors- even has a "Can't Be Punished" file. She says she's only done two years of free reporting - when protests broke out in earnest and there was hope. On the up side, she did have access to women's areas remaining in the country's good graces and brought to light important injustices.
Zeina Karan's essay came right after Zaina's, so was an easy contrast. When she was faced with the choice to stay in the government's good graces or continue in facts, she didn't hesitate to do the latter. It may have been easier given that she is Lebanese with some relatives in Syria in that she was familiar enough with Syria, but grew up a bit more liberal.
All of the stories are amazing - so many different approaches and ways of achieving bringing out the truth.