gdp's Comments

KABOBfest : Why This Two-Year Old PWNS You

Tue, 9 Nov 2010 16:39:09 +0000

Did you see all the awful YouTube comments calling this kid a terrorist? Ugh.

KABOBfest : Terrorists Not Pop Stars Get Visas

Wed, 20 Oct 2010 14:51:23 +0000

Seriously. What's up with that? I remember when those were cool...in 1990.

KABOBfest : The Hijab Alternative

Mon, 18 Oct 2010 15:06:02 +0000

I'm with you on all but this: "Had such cases not been rare, women would simply stop getting on trains and buses." Japan actually had to implement women-only subway cars, the problem was so bad: http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/International/story?id=...

KABOBfest : The Hijab Alternative

Mon, 18 Oct 2010 14:14:49 +0000

Likewise. I'm not impressed with your thought process or your grammar.

KABOBfest : The Hijab Alternative

Sun, 17 Oct 2010 17:46:19 +0000

And y'all, so we're clear - I don't view Western society as superior, but I do view my own autonomy and equal status as a woman as necessary. I say this with respect to the fact that complete equality in the West does not exist and that in societies where equality is, let's say, lesser, there are plenty of women fighting for their rights. (I think it goes without saying that this is not specific to Muslim societies, either, but that the two examples given by OooKhalid were Morocco and the US, thus that's the framework we're working off)

KABOBfest : The Hijab Alternative

Sun, 17 Oct 2010 17:44:10 +0000

That's the best you can muster?

KABOBfest : Censor Those Boobs Too?

Sun, 17 Oct 2010 14:41:25 +0000

Meh, not sure I agree. I personally couldn't care less if we all walked around nude, but that's not how it is. Our society (as a whole) is such that women are objectified for their "assets" (the obsession with two bits of flesh and tissue never ceases to amaze me). So, it's not just a pair of tits in context.

KABOBfest : Censor Those Boobs Too?

Sun, 17 Oct 2010 14:39:45 +0000

Just close your eyes while you listen to it ya Hani ;)

KABOBfest : The Hijab Alternative

Sun, 17 Oct 2010 14:38:54 +0000

The U.S. legal system indeed does have laws protecting rape victims. It is not the system, but the system in PRACTICE that is the problem. Thus, it is not the laws on the books, but human error, and I'm the first to admit the imperfection of Americans. "US govt officials have been accused of tampering the rape records because it is so embarrassing." I find it suspicious that I have never heard that before. Please cite your source.

KABOBfest : The Hijab Alternative

Sun, 17 Oct 2010 14:36:46 +0000

I find that "try walking a mile in their shoes" comment rather interesting, as it's usually used when referring to someone's troubles or disability. Are you implying that hijab is a disability? I would think so only when it's forced. Otherwise, hijab is a choice, therefore, there should be no feeling of need to "walk in someone's shoes."

KABOBfest : The Hijab Alternative

Sun, 17 Oct 2010 14:33:23 +0000

Saartha, Morocco does not require a male witness, but you're right that Morocco's laws are a long way from ideal. The most problematic is that rape within marriage is not yet a crime.

KABOBfest : The Hijab Alternative

Sun, 17 Oct 2010 14:31:49 +0000

You're right that Morocco is one of the most liberal Muslim countries, at least in the Arab world. I think your assumption that the rape rate is so low because of Islam and/or culture is possibly a false one...I suggested a lack of opportunity, for one, which is true. Not just because of the examples I gave (e.g., alcohol consumption, freedom of movement) but also because of the culture of family; in Morocco, your family knows where you are at any given time, and that's assuming you're not with them. There's much more a sense of responsibility to the family - that I consider a good thing, in more ways than this. Also, as Saartha below me points out, the Moroccan rape rate may not actually be so low. Just like homosexuality and extramarital sex are hidden in the culture, so may be rape. Women may not report at the same rates as they do in the U.S. (and though there is no denying the horrifying rape rate in my country, the fact that women feel confident and free to report the crimes without retribution is important) But, while culture MAY discourage rape, it at the same time seems to encourage a whole slew of other debasing and abusive behaviors toward women - honor killings (uncommon in Morocco but epidemic in Syria), forced marriage, repeat pregnancies against the wishes of the woman, being forced to stay at home. Frankly, I would rather experience the one-time horror of rape than be subjected to a lifetime of patriarchal restrictions against my person, condemning me to rule by male family members and eventually a husband. Now on to your question... "Would you say that having the above three factors in the mainstream western culture, is worth the high rape rates that we see in western societies?" I understand your question, but you've manipulated what I said. I did not say that those are causes of rape in Western society, but rather that the lack of certain opportunities might preclude rape in other societies. Nevertheless, the responsiblity is on men to behave like proper human beings, even in the face of such things. I believe Islam would agree. Again, you ignore the positive side of Western society. Sure, my personal view on the world would give me a mix of cultures, so that I could have both the Moroccan dedication to family and my culture's egalitarianism (which I recognize is imperfect), but ultimately, no, I would not trade my freedom as a woman in this society for the patriarchy that exists in many Muslim societies.

KABOBfest : Censor Those Boobs Too?

Sat, 16 Oct 2010 01:38:26 +0000

I'm with you on the mixed messages, but don't think that's unique to Arab culture (more extreme, maybe, in certain countries, and I suppose if you'd said "the Gulf" I might have agreed with you). Overall though, I think you're underestimating the pervasiveness of "virginity" culture in the US.

KABOBfest : The Hijab Alternative

Thu, 14 Oct 2010 15:05:06 +0000

Yeah, so you're probably right about Morocco having fewer actual rapes. There are reasons for this, surely, including less consumption of alcohol, fewer private spaces for men to assault women, and yeah, probably also women being less likely to go somewhere secluded with a man. That said, I lived in Morocco for two years and was sexually harassed on the streets EVERY SINGLE DAY. Being called names I could live with, but once, I was pushed up against a vehicle while the guy rubbed himself up against me. I was wearing a djellaba at the time, incidentally (hair uncovered, not that it matters). Moroccan men aren't magically better than American men. The rape culture in the US no doubt influences the violent crimes committed against women, but that doesn't mean that Moroccan men aren't in violation of women's rights every single day.

KABOBfest : Don’t Ask, Just Kill

Thu, 7 Oct 2010 18:23:18 +0000

"And nobody is just focusing on DADT" Except the media, you mean. Look, I'm with you - to me, the military is and should be just one aspect of the debate, but you know as well as I do that it's not playing out that way in the public sphere.

KABOBfest : "If they build a mosque at ground zero, fly a plane into it"

Thu, 26 Aug 2010 20:20:38 +0000

yeah, and a lot of us, myself included, do it publicly on other platforms too.

KABOBfest : "If they build a mosque at ground zero, fly a plane into it"

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 19:06:39 +0000

You're preaching to a group of people whose members (or at least some of them) actually do support and adhere to BDS. What are you doing to convert the uninitiated? Stop wasting your time here and talk to the millions of people who have never heard of BDS.

KABOBfest : "If they build a mosque at ground zero, fly a plane into it"

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 14:56:33 +0000

So I take it then that you're not concerned about hate speech toward Muslims in America? Hypocrite.

KABOBfest : FYI: This September 11th Muslims Will Celebrate, Don't Panic

Wed, 18 Aug 2010 20:51:59 +0000

Uh, I'm confused. Are you suggesting that Muslims are all immigrants or visitors to the United States? What, and you're an original citizen? Unless you're Native American, I suggest you STFU.

KABOBfest : The Unpredictable Joys of Online Advertising

Thu, 5 Aug 2010 17:45:33 +0000

Will, c'mon, Ahmadinejad has been interviewed by Diane Sawyer...surely plenty of Americans can recognize him after that! (However, how many do you think can spell his name?)