A Woman With Something to Say
I intended this to be a posting for International Woman's Day. I got sidetracked.
Queen Rania al Abdullah of Jordan is an arab Muslim woman with something to say. Being married to King Abdullah ibn Hussein, who is a direct descendent of the Prophet Mohammed, gives her strong credentials to speak on the role of women in Islam. She challenges our prejudicial views of about Muslim woman and their place in Muslim society. She is modern, intelligent, outspoken and beautiful. She also chooses to often not wear the hijab, or headscarf. This is not how Muslim women are repeatedly depicted in the news.
Much of what we associate with Muslim women and the nature of Muslim societies has more to do with tribal customs than the essential teachings of the Prophet Mohammed.
She reminds us we need to be careful at judging Islam and in particular the position of women in Islamic societies. Queen Rania has taken it upon herself to speak up for Islam and Islamic women through her own You Tube channel.
Queen Rania is a lovely person, funny and intelligent. She is a very skilled communicator.
Here is a funny , "10 Reasons. . ." video, ala David Letterman, of her explaining her decision to use You Tube to communicate her ideas and encourage others to share theirs. This is her response a year ago when she was given an award by You Tube
Listen to her response to comments left on You Tube concerning Muslim Women and Islam.
Queen Rania is a woman to listen to and learn from whereever she appears or speaks. Her efforts were recognized by being granted the "Woman of the World Award."
posted by Tossing Pebbles in the Stream @ 11:14 a.m.
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9 Comments:
Thanks but no thanks. I prefer to listen to Wafa Sultan and Ayaan Hirsi Ali. These are real Muslim women, whose lives have been threatened for speaking the truth, not a coddled Queen with a "feel good" message and Hollywood looks on a public relations campaign to bullshit gullible Americans. I loved the little chart showing the women in the parliaments of the Arab countries that are not democracies. You really do need to get out more.
Well, Philip, it appears that you have engendered some disagreement. I wonder if these are first time readers to your blog--not that it would matter if it did, but you are consistently trying to increase international understanding--not sure your first reader/commenter appreciates that.
An interesting post and a memorable woman. I am not able to get videos on my ancient computer so I missed that part. Darn!
The "Navigator" above is my cousin.
We disagree about most things. I think he likes to needle me. We have some interesting discussions.
We both grew up in the light of the Unitarian Church. It is surprising to me that we have different views on so many things.
He is a lawyer. . . .I try not to hold that against him.
I very much agree with you and I admire this woman a lot. She does so much for her country but she has to go very slowly. There are so many illiterated people there who live their traditions. It's just like here on the countryside where women still were scarfs when they work outside or in southern Italy where they are dressed in black because they have to mourn family members and as in big families there is always one who dies, they are in black all their life.
I have met quite a lot of very educated muslim women in my life and I can tell you besides the religion they were like me and my friends.
KGMom and Tossing Pebbles. This is a bit like being at a gathering where you hear people discussing you as if you are not present in the room.
In the early days of this blog I did send needling e-mails to Tossing Pebbles, but I did so by private e-mail -- I didn't try to publish them as comments on his blog. Anything you see from me is a considered comment, not an attempt to get rise out of him -- but if it has that effect, however, I consider that a bonus. And far from being a new reader, I was present at the inception of his blog -- he consulted with me when he first set it up.
I might add that if you go back through his archives of comments, you will likely find that I am the only commentator that challenges his assertions and worldview. I am the guy who really adds a dash of honest debate to the exercise, and it is only through the conflict of considered debate that we can grow intellectually. I feel that I am providing a public service by doing this -- and it is good that he overlooks the fact that I am lawyer because I haven't yet rendered him a bill for my services.
She is a true hero for all Muslim women. If only more women in that society could be like her.
Watch me try to be a mediator and then run away.
While I think Navigator has a point - it is always essential to hear about the real women experiencing the abuse - it's still important that the Queen is also speaking out. It may be that she will encourage others to do so. It's important that we learn the facts about Islam, rather than the assumptions. We definitely do not need another Crusade. (Although I really think that's what the Iraq war is.)
Should I be nervous that my word verification is "woryng"?
she should be able to show how a muslim woman wears (as she is a wife of a great leader) not just how to speak. but at least she can show a good side of muslim women world.
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