Headscarf Debate in France- Ryan Connolly

1. Despite reservations about the headscarf, the political scientist Mossuz-Lavau argues against the law to ban headscarves. What is at the crux of her argument? Is it valid? (162)

This article heavily criticizes France's law to ban headscarves and religious-oriented clothing and symbols from French public schools. This law was blatantly directed at the Muslim and Islamic communities of France for the traditional code of dress worn by women of this religion. The veils and headscarves worn by the women of Muslim and Islamic culture are a symbol of their loyalty to their husbands as well as a way to make female sexuality more discreet. The traditional dress exemplifies the ideology of modesty, sexual unavailability, and attempts to "curb the dangerous sexuality of women." (154)  But, the French people took this another way.

The people of France, especially those in charge, saw this form of dress as immodest, conspicuous, excessive, and even perverse. These thoughts by the people of France led me to scratch my head in confusion. This part of the Muslim religion was doing just the opposite. In what galaxy does covering up the female body promote sexuality, perversion, and immodesty? How does their form of showing loyalty to their spouse inhibit feelings of promoting ambiguous female sexuality? The attempts to downsize free expression as well as the French people's inherent irrationality continued with insight from a French spokesperson Jaques Chirac. Chirac stated that this form of expression was a sign of aggression and was "taking away a man's right to see behind the veil." (159) Jacques saw this as a form of castration to the entire male population. Chirac's ignorance and blatant objectification of women is appalling. His ridiculous argument points to the fact that a man's sexual desires far outweigh a female's right to religious choice and free expression. 

Opponents of the veil and headscarf were also obsessed with the thought that veils denied the mixing of the sexes. It formed a barrier between natural inter-gender interactions and promoted the strict sexual segregation of Islam. Although this argument has slightly more credibility than the arguments of Jaques Chirac, it still does not promote the interests and opinions of the Muslim women who choose this form of dress. They should have a right to practice their religion as they please without government interference. This touches directly on the crux of Janine Mossuz-Lavau's argument on this pressing issue.

Janine Mossuz-Lavau's touches on both sides of the argument while consequentially siding against the ban of headscarves. Mossuz-Lavau says that these veils deprived these women of sexual liberation. It designated the women "as a source of sin" and "a potential whore." (162) This division of sexes and blanketed sexuality can increase the potential of rape and other sex crimes due to the feeling of the bar between male and female. But, something takes precedence above all of this, and that is the freedom of expression. These women have every right to express themselves and promote their religion as necessary. France should be promoting the freedom of religion and speech, not destroying it. In my opinion, this gives Mossuz-Lavau's argument a great deal of credibility; although there is backlash to their religious expression, these women have every right to express themselves and their religion as they choose. This idea of religious oppression has been far too prominent in our worlds' history and it is time to continue to this culture change through the evolution of women's rights, free expression, and equality.

SOURCES:

Due to this topic being mostly opinionated, my main source for this blog was the article itself.

Blog #7 Politics of the Veil - Tanner Federspill

Tanner Federspill

Politics of the Veil

Despite reservations about the headscarf, the political scientist Mossuz-Lavau argues against the law to ban headscarves. What is at the crux of her argument? Is it valid? (162)

A law created to ban practicing Islam's from being able to wear their headscarves is surely a very controversial topic. Those who are against headscarves believe that "Islamists were engaged in a political conspiracy the aim of which was the oppression of women and the elimination of secularism". So they do believe that be banning the Veil they are almost freeing these women from being oppressed. Their idea seems for the best but Mossuz-Lavau believes it is up to the women themselves to make the decision whether they wear the veil or not. I believe she uses education as the crux of her argument. If they decide to ban the veil from schools these women will truly be oppressed. They need to be able to learn about the freedoms that they have because they are humans and be given the opportunity to make the decision for themselves. If these women aren't allowed to go to schools there is no way for them to learn about the world outside their own religion.

 

 

Not to mention it is their freedom to choose their religion and to practice what they believe. I do not think it is up to the government to make the decisions for these young women even if they do believe it is better for them. This argument is definitely valid because not only do these girls learn about their options but by interacting with other girls from their schools and with different beliefs they will be able to see things from another perspective. Not to mention that by allowing them to go to school it helps integrate the veil wearing women into the French society rather than ostracize them. In the end I do believe that Mossuz-Lavau is right that education, for both sides, is the only way to resolve the conflict.

Politics of the Veil - Question 1

1. Despite reservations about the headscarf, the political scientist Mossuz-Lavau argues against the law to ban headscarves. What is at the crux of her argument? Is it valid? (162)

Mossuz-Lavau argues against the law to ban headscarves because she thinks that the decision of whether or not to wear headscarf shouldn't be made by the government but Muslim women themselves. According to the article Politics of the Veil, written by Joan Wallach, Mossuz-Lavau does not support the wearing of headscarf because she thinks the veil designates the woman as "a source of sin" and "a potential whore," and deprives a woman of sexual liberation that was hers by right. But meanwhile, she argues that a ban on wearing headscarf won't effectively give Muslim women more freedom or raise their awareness of the sexual liberation they were supposed to have because such liberation "could only come from being exposed to modern ideas at school. " I think the crux of her argument is that girls with headscarves must be allowed to stay in school, in order to receive the education they need to learn more about sexual freedom and help them make the right decision regarding whether or not to wear headscarf. I believe her argument is valid because she provided strong evidence to support her argument. First of all, "public opinion polls demonstrated that modern liberal attitudes were held by those with high levels of education; the most bigoted members of French society were those with no degrees." In addition, Mossuz-Lavau has personally interviewed Muslim women about sexual practices in French society, and the result showed that women who violated Islamic norms and had sex before marriage all held high academic degrees.

Reference:

Scott, Joan Wallach. "The Politics of the Veil ." Constellations 15.3 (2008): 162-163. Web.

Human Trafficking in Madagascar

Human trafficking, especially women and children trafficking, has been a serious issue in Madagascar. According to U.S. Embassy Madagascar, Madagascar is a source country for women and children subjected to sex trafficking. After the political crisis that Madagascar went through in March 2009, the decline in the rule of law and weak economic growth caused an increase in sex and labor trafficking of Malagasy citizens during recent years. Study shows that “an estimated 4,000 Malagasy women are employed as domestic workers in Lebanon and, since July 2012, an estimated 3,000 Malagasy female domestic workers have migrated to Kuwait; a smaller number of workers have also departed from Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Mauritius, and Seychelles in search of jobs.” Majority of sex trafficking victims in Madagascar are single mothers who come from rural areas and are undereducated, most of them returning from Lebanon, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia reported physical torture, psychology abuse, sexual harassment, harsh working conditions and so on.

“Malagasy children, mostly from rural areas, are subjected to domestic servitude, prostitution, forced begging, and forced labor in mining, fishing, and agriculture within the country.” Child sex trafficking is the most common; it usually occurs with the involvement of family members. In Madagascar, many parents force their children into prostitution to earn money and support their families; they even directly negotiate price with clients of their prostituted children. In addition, friends, transport operators, tour guides and hotel workers also play a role in children sex trafficking.

According to the article Born Free: How to Prevent Human Trafficking written by Dr. Sarah E. Mendelson, who’s the Deputy Assistant Administrator at United States Agency for International Development (USAID), this organization is making great efforts to combat human trafficking through fulfilling the upcoming Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which is an updated version of their Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) after it expires. Dr. Mendelson said in her article that, they advocated, “integrated programming” for combating trafficking in their new policy. The idea was to include an anti-trafficking component in each other sectors such as health, education and agriculture. For example, a girl’s education program can integrate lessons on trafficking awareness. Furthermore, there are goals that explicitly calls for ending human trafficking. According to Mendelson, “Under proposed goal five—‘Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls’ -- the drafters call for the end of trafficking of women and girls. Under proposed goal eight – ‘Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all’ -- the document urges the end of the trafficking of children, including child soldiers, by 2025. Finally, under proposed goal 16 – ‘Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels’-- the Outcome Document references bringing the trafficking of children to an end.’” It is comforting to see that organizations are making clear goals to eliminate human trafficking, however, to better achieve these goals and combat human trafficking, the public must be more educated about this issue and be aware of how severe it is. I also believe that more funding should be devoted into supporting human trafficking elimination, and more promotional efforts within the general public might help with fundraising.

References:

http://www.antananarivo.usembassy.gov/reports/madagascar-trafficking-in-persons-report---2013.html

http://advocacy.thp.org/2014/08/08/mdgs-to-sdgs/

Sarah E. Mendelson Born Free: How to Prevent Human Trafficking, Sep. 22, 2014

Sex Trafficking in Cameroon-Ryan Connolly

Human trafficking is a horrifying epidemic that is occurring all over the world. Although it seems like an issue that we are distanced from as American citizens, it is common everywhere. It is even a growing issue right here in Missouri. There are approximately 20 to 30 million slaves across the globe today, which is significantly higher than the number of slaves in the 1800's when it was legal and was a staple to life in the Southern United States. Human trafficking is second only to drug and weapon trafficking as the three largest illegal businesses around the globe. (Born Free) And unfortunately, Cameroon is no exception to these worldwide trends. 

Unfortunately, like many other countries in southwestern Africa, Cameroon is a hub for human trafficking and sex slavery. Women, children, and sometimes even grown men are potentially at risk to the horrors of this business of inhumanity. There has been a consistent trend of "intermediaries" that have been contributing to the spike of child slavery and trafficking in Cameroon. These intermediaries are people who promote themselves to citizens, saying they have access to education and better living conditions in order to bring their children a better life. With a poor lack of understanding and knowledge, thousands of parents have reluctantly handed over their children in trust hoping to provide more opportunities to their children. These intermediaries then sell the children , male or female, to the highest bidder and turn these innocent kids into sex slaves or uncompensated laborers in countries all over the world. Victims of the Cameroon human trafficking trade have been rescued in countries all over the world including Germany, Sweden, Slovakia, Denmark, and other African nations. This shows how prominent and wide spread this issue truly is. It is crossing borders, continents, and oceans on a worldwide scale. 

This evil and senseless business generates anywhere from $32 to $150 billion on a yearly basis. It has grown out of control and is spreading all over the world. One of the main ways to combat this issue, as members of the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) explains, is to educate women and children on the dangers of human trafficking. Informing and educating vulnerable youth on the issue is an easy way to prevent them from falling victim to this global atrocity. Without educating youth on this issue, how are we supposed to save them from it? If we don't educate them, how will they know how easy it is to fall victim to the evils of human trafficking, especially on the Internet? These are the questions that need to be asked when addressing this delicate issue. These intermediaries in Cameroon can be a thing of the past as soon as education plans are implemented. And although kidnapping is still prevalent, it will dramatically bring down the number of people that fall victim to trafficking. Education and law enforcement are the first steps in the right direction to make human trafficking a thing of the past.

Ending modern slavery needs to be a top priority for government and law enforcement officials in Cameroon and countries all over the world. The horrific realities of human slave trade need to be known in order to raise awareness of the issue and begin to fight it all over the world. Any of these poor victims could easily turn into a sister, brother, friend, or loved one of your own. Spreading awareness and forcing the conversation onto people of power will expedite the process of ending these atrocities once and for all. 

  SOURCES:

Born Free: How to Prevent Human Trafficking. By Sarah E. Mendelson

https://www.dosomething.org/facts/11-facts-about-human-trafficking

http://yaounde.usembassy.gov/tipreport.html

Poverty and Political Corruption in Cameroon

Cameroon is a very culturally-rich and resource-rich nation full of good people and natural beauty. The variety in culture between different ethnic groups and races and their ability to live in peace together make Cameroon a very unique place in the world. The variety in culture and differences in these cultures are immense. Some of these different ethnic groups include the Cameroonian Highlanders, Equatorial Bantus, and the Kirdi. The geographical regions where these groups reside are significantly intertwined. But, the respect and understanding between nations allows all of them, regardless of size or cultural variance, to nearly all prosper without dispute. This is something that is not common in Africa, especially when religion and racial differences are involved. But, even with Cameroon being 40% Christian, 20% Muslim, and 20% Traditional African tribes, there is a lack of dispute and hostility among the greater majority of these groups. (http://www.africaw.com/major-problems-facing-cameroon-today) Cameroon also has access to rich and abundant natural resources like petroleum, oil, and timber that stimulate the economy and play a crucial role in their contribution and involvement in global trade.



With that being said, Cameroon is still currently facing a great deal of political, social, and economic issues. Equality, human rights violations, and political corruption all come into conversation when discussing issues with Cameroon. But, it seems as if the most significant problem being faced by Cameroon in the 21st century is their eye opening poverty levels. Unemployment rates in Cameroon have hovered around 40-50%, which is unheard of in any American, European, or Asian nations. This also means that over 50% of Cameroon's citizens are living below the poverty line. (http://www.africaw.com/major-problems-facing-cameroon-today) These astounding levels of poverty in Cameroon are taking a toll on the living conditions and morale of the vast majority of the people of Cameroon. With this much poverty, the human rights staples of food, water, and shelter, something all humans should naturally be granted, are put in serious jeopardy. Although some are in hunter-gatherer tribes that are self-reliant for food, the over five million people that live in big cities or suburbs struggle to afford food because of this growing problem. The housing issue is in a similar standing; if the majority of the Cameroon population is statistically earning an equivalent of about $1.25 a day, how are people supposed to put food on the table and a roof over their heads?(http://wwf.panda.org/who_we_are/wwf_offices/cameroon/environmental_problems_cameroon/)  It makes prosperity and financial stability nearly impossible.

From the evidence I have gathered on this issue, I think it is fair to say that the blame for the poverty levels and poor living conditions falls in the hands of the overwhelming greed and political corruption present in Cameroon. If these corrupt political sharks stealing from their own people weren't in power and people of morality, common sense, and political competency were in power, I believe these underprivileged people would have a much better chance at a prosperous life.

Cameroon's living conditions and economic standing give them the extremely undesirable title as one of the poorest nations in the world. With unemployment so high and wages so low, it is nearly impossible to be prosperous or successful. And unless action is taken to right the ship of extreme political corruption in this troubled nation, this problem will only continue to progress. This is why poverty and unemployment are the most troubling issues facing the brave, yet troubled nation of Cameroon.


SOURCES:
http://wwf.panda.org/who_we_are/wwf_offices/cameroon/environmental_problems_cameroon/
http://www.africaw.com/major-problems-facing-cameroon-today

Somalia Blog #5

Blog Entry #5
Tanner Federspill
Peace Studies

Somalia

 

Somalia as a country faces many challenges, a civil war, and a nonexistent economy but I believe on thing is holding the country back, it's lack of a government. With no central authority there is no base for a country to build itself on. Civilians are caught is the crossfire of ruthless warlords who slaughter villages of helpless people. The country is incapable of protecting their own people. Even the group claiming to be the Somalian government is riddled with corruption. The government has been found to be enlisting children in their ranks and having them fight against the war lords. I understand that they're in a very desperate situation but small children should not be forced into armed conflicts. Government officials have also been caught having sex slaves and involved in prostitution rings. There seems to be no such thing as basic human rights in Somalia and there is little sign that they're going to improve.

 

Picture of a city effected by war

 

No central authority makes it impossible for an economy develop. There is no one to regulate trade with other countries or control the flow of money. People have to resort to trading objects and stealing their most basic necessities to survive. The little economy that the country does have is in sweatshops and fishing. Countries aren't even willing to trade with Somalia anytime soon due to the pirates that patrol the cost and hijack ships.

 

Small children try to salvage drinkable water

 

The entire region is plagued faces challenges from poor economies and warring states. It's even hard for the United Nations to send help because it is so dangerous in the area. The UN has set up programs to just try and get the people in the region basic necessities like clean drinking water. There are a large number of problems in Somalia and there isn't any sign for improvement but the first thing that Somalia must do is find a central authority.

Madagascar's Most Challenging Task in the 21st Century

     I believe Madagascar’s most challenging task in the 21st century is fighting poverty. Madagascar is one of the poorest countries in the world. According to UNICEF, in Madagascar, “90 percent of the population lives on less than $2 a day. More than 3 out of 4 children on this tropical island live in extreme poverty.” Poverty creates tremendous obstacles for Malagasy people, especially for women and children. This country has one of the world’s highest childhood malnutrition rates—about 50% of Malagasy children are chronically malnourished. It is extremely difficult for these children to reach their full mental and physical potential because of scarce food resources, poor food quality and maternal nutrition, bad feeding practices and so on.

 (Children in Madagascar)

     Pregnant women seem to face no better health situation—only 44% of all women in Madagascar give birth with the support of a skilled birth attendant. What’s worse, 1 in every 43 women faces a lifetime risk of maternal death. In Madagascar, majority of the population lives in hard-to-reach rural areas, where their transportation infrastructure gets destructed by cyclones every year. 40% of the population is completely cut off from heath facilities and other basic services. This creates huge challenge for pregnant women, since many clinics and hospitals are located far from many rural villages, and the poor transportation system would very likely to cause delays in getting pregnant women the care they urgently need. A local community health worker in Andalambezo, Madagascar once asked a group of Malagasy women two questions: whether they knew a woman who’s died in pregnancy or delivery, and whether they knew a baby who died at a very young age. Sadly, all hands in the group went up for both questions. Andalambezo is an isolated coastal community in Madagascar, it is 8-kilometers away from the nearest healthcare facility. Transportation options from this village to the health facility limit to either sailing canoes or cattle carts, but both transportations require a fee from passengers, and unfortunately, many women don’t have the ability to pay.

(Women's group meeting in Andalambezo.)

     Another major factor that threatens mothers and newborns’ health is a disease called tetanus. Specifically, maternal and neonatal tetanus (MNT) is a disease of the poor. Most people in the United States cannot imagine losing a child to tetanus, however, according to UNICEF, “MNT steals the lives of nearly 60,000 babies and a significant number of women each year in developing countries.” In extremely poor regions like Madagascar, MNT has an even higher rate of occurrence.

(A child is vaccinated for MNT)

     Right now, UNICEF and its partners have been helping Madagascar to eliminate maternal and neonatal tetanus, but there are so many other challenges this country faces due to its economic inability. Therefore I believe Madagascar’s most challenging task in the 21st century is fighting poverty.

References:

http://www.unicefusa.org/stories/madagascar-once-feared-disease-no-more/19676

http://www.mhtf.org/2015/07/31/womens-groups-overcome-emergency-transport-challenges-in-rural-madagascar/