Archive for the 'Uncategorized' Category

No license to abuse in anyone’s culture

Published by
Sarah
at June 7, 2007 in Politics, Uncategorized, law, media, race, racism, violence and violence against women. 0 Comments

The issue of violence against women, and particularly violence within certain cultural and religious communities have characterised some of the most heated debates on race, culture , immigration and women’s rights in recent times.

Wo! magazine interviews two academics- Dr. Christina Ho, a lecturer in Social Inquiry at the Faulty of Humanities and Social Science, and Penny Crofts a senior lecturer in law, at the University of Technology, Sydney- at the “No license to abuse” conference in Bankstown. The forum was a one-day event which aimed to address awareness about racialised violence against women survivors of domestic violence in particular the access women from diverse backgrounds have in accessing protection from the law.

We talk Dr. Chris Ho to on her address “Hijacking Feminism- The politics of Women’s Rights in contemporary Australia” in which Dr. Ho looks at the representation of violence against women in Australian politics. Dr. Ho argues that violence against women is a global issue but many Australian commentators portray it as a problem of cultural minorities; in particular within the Lebanese or Muslim communities. She addresses why conservative commentators are only concerned with violence against women when men of minority backgrounds are the perpetrators. Dr. Ho analyses the politics behind these current debates and offers some thoughts on how advocates of women’s rights can respond.

We also have a chat to Penny Crofts, a specialist in criminal law theory. In her address “Tolerating intolerance: Liberal Culturalism and Ethnicity in Provocation” Penny discusses the legal principles relating to the cultural defence in domestic violence cases. In her overview of the use of the Provocation defence in law she refers to theoretical framweorks which argue that liberal cultures are not ‘colour-blind’ and she poses such questions as: is the court truly neutral? If so, what capacity does the court have to recognise cultural differences; and how far should cultural differences be recognised if at all where there are values of bodily integrity to be resolved.

The sacrifice

Published by
Sarah
at December 30, 2006 in Iraq, Saddam Hussein, Uncategorized, death, imperialism and war. 1 Comment

This is huge. Iraqi Tyrant Saddam Hussein has been executed in Iraq at sunrise this morning.

Shortly before the execution, Saddam’s hat was removed and Saddam was asked if he wanted to say something, al-Askari said.

“No I don’t want to,” al-Askari, who was present at the execution, quoted Saddam as saying. Saddam repeated a prayer after a Sunni Muslim cleric who was present.

“Saddam later was taken to the gallows and refused to have his head covered with a hood,” al-Askari said. “Before the rope was put around his neck, Saddam shouted: `God is great. The nation will be victorious and Palestine is Arab’.”

Even in death the wily old Baathist shows understanding of the three hot buttons which rule the hearts and minds of the region- Islam/ism, Arab nationalism/pride and Palestine. An basic understanding of which the invading powers have thoroughly underestimated.

Ironically his execution takes place on the day of the Muslim “Eid-ul-Adha.” On this day Muslims are required to sacrifice an animal or give to the poor in commemoration of Abraham’s willingess to sacrifice his son.

So now Saddam has been sacrificed on the altar of the new Iraqi justice system.

It is a boost for an embattled imperial power struggling to extricate itself from the increasingly uncontrollable quagmire the Iraqi adventure has become.

Let’s hope Hussein’s blood sacrifice helps absolve some of the bloodbath that the Iraqi disaster invasion has descended into.

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Hey ladies!

Published by
outfox
at November 24, 2006 in Uncategorized. 3 Comments

Hello!

Kathy from Outfoxed blog here; happilly grabbing the invitation to join The Wo! Front and blog on my favourite topics of feminism and culture. 

First up, Ladyfest Brisbane is on!

the ladies, the ladies

I love that a non-profit, community based festival “that celebrates the skills and interests of women” is also one of the most stylistically diverse, just exciting musical line ups all year. 

 

Yes I’m biased, but 4 nights of acts like Dear Nora, Foreign Heights, Junglettes and Girl with Cake in one weekend is pretty good! 

Being a cultural archives geek I’m also excited that the riot grrl history documentary Don’t Need You has been added to tommorow’s programme; along with the panel on Ladyfest: Past, Present & Future with Allison Wolfe (Bratmobile, Partyline) and Sarah Dougher speaking.

 

I love stuff about the creation of women’s subcultures. Often you see imagery and ideas from less commerical cultures, including riot grrl, absorbed into mainstream media without necessarily having the backstory about where they emerged from.  So I love media that makes those connections back to communities.    

 

People outside Brisbane may be wishing they were here for once.  Those here, check the myspace for updates!

 

Hilali and Jones- Agents of corruption and decadence!

Published by
Sarah
at October 31, 2006 in Uncategorized. 3 Comments
For all of Hilaly’s outrageous comments there’s something curiously compelling about him.
It’s like watching a madman- the fainting spells and dramatic gestures, the continously hilarious public statements about nefarious agents of “corruption and decadence”.
It’s impossible not to delight in this goldmine for satirists everywhere.

As the saying goes if you don’t laugh, then you’ll cry.

Louise Evans in “The Australian” provides a hilarious take on the Hilali saga, advocating a stint in rehab for the embattled Sheikh :

“Rehab would also be a great move for the embattled Sheik Taj Din al-Hilali. He could admit to an addiction: to being hooked on being the big imam in little Lakemba. He could apologise, say his head was muddled and he’d lost the satellite link with the almighty when he upset so many Christians and Muslims with his meatloaf rant. He could book into rehab and emerge after a respectful absence to do the rounds of the radio and chat shows to re-establish his career.

To re-engage with mainstream Australia, he could release an album of Meat Loaf songs: Couldn’t Have Said it Better, Good Girls Go to Heaven, Heaven Can Wait, The Promised Land, The Monster is Loose, The Future Ain’t What it Used to Be, Original Sin, Is Nothing Sacred, If God Could Talk and Fallen Angels.

The sure hit single for Hilali would be a remake of Meat Loaf’s 1979 anthem, You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth.

Why not take it a step further? -A mental rehab for all the disturbing intellectual menaces in our society. Let’s start with radio presenter Alan Jones.

Alan could admit to being addicted to being the big man on talkback radio- supressing his sexuality and becoming the darling of the Right in a desperate attempt to be approved of by the conservatives. (Conservatives being the symbolic substitute for the father figure stemming from a deep rooted Freudian complex.)

Add some repentant overtones and an Oprah style confessional and wala!

As a reformed righter Jones- fully embracing his new identity- could do shows promoting causes closer to his heart i.e. “Finding love after fifty”, “You’ve only got one you- Celebrate it!” and “the Gentleman’s guide to “sports” watching.”

It’d be a hit!

But would this utopia be worth it?

Unfortunately without the Hilali’s and Jones’ of the world- the satirists would be out of business. We have a parasitic relationship that makes them necessary.

Otherwise they’d be no headlines, no mirth. Nothing to rail against.

We’d be extinct!

Agenda for today

Published by
Sarah
at October 30, 2006 in Uncategorized. 0 Comments

Agenda for today

  1. Buy milk
  2. Wash Halloween costume
  3. Clean house
  4. Lure men into sin with fatal charms
  5. Talk to Satan
  6. Go home

Ends