From Head Scarf to Army Cap, Making a New Life
The New York Times > New York Region > Interactive Feature > Making a New Life
My friend passed me this article.
The reason why I am sharing it with the Gs community is to elicit a response from you - those would like to share their non-biased ideas, as to what are obvious reasons - personal as well as social impediments that have brought her to this position?
On a more human and personal level, as someone having regular challenges of no money, a bad husband, and a perceived or internalized wrong perception of her identity that limited her in many ways, why she chose to enlist in US army?
Why she did not do something else? i.e. become a teacher to make earn a living?
On a broader perspective, what is it meant by putting down the faith and the a woman’s place in the creed that follows that faith, to which she belongs?
Pay attention to and read the sub-caption of the article “ Fadwa Hamdan belongs to the rare class of Muslim women who have signed up to become soldiers trained in Arabic translation.”
Listening to her voice, what do you hear?
& by the way, NY Times, tireless efforts to portray Muslims in a particular way, Andrea Elliot’s other articles on Muslims, and what they reflect…
It all goes to show that we need to be really very mindful of what is being attributed to Muslims, and more importantly, we need to help women in our surrounding, whether Muslim or non Muslim, who need help in not suffering at the hands of the social set ups.
Countless women are cheated on, by their husbands, in cultures where polygamy is not an issue. Countless women have all the sacrifice and a natural desire to be with their children, but as a punishment, they are deprived of that closeness with their own children. Why?
& What can be done to make sure that women, do not become a victim of the strife introduced in their lives - due to failing personal relationships; a societal system in which their earning power is never stable; they become moms, but they are unable to provide all kinds of protection and security to their children, & to add insult to injury & their identity is perceived as an argument for their personal weakness.
Chime!
Dushwari