I recently read an article by the Feminist Majority foundation which is an organization that works for the equality of women. This article was both interesting and scary. As crazy as this may sound this kind of thing still exists. Witch-hunting, though it may seem historic and ancient, in some countries this type of thing actually still exists. Recently there has been an increase in the number of news stories covering the killing of women accused of witchcraft. This fanatical phenomena is happening specifically in Asia and Kenya. It is kind of hard to believe that a practice so historic and unbelievably scary is still affecting women today. The witch-hunting is particularly affecting the women in India. The foundation reports that each year dozens of women in India are killed for being "witches and practicing black magic." Just in May of 2008, in India, a woman was gagged, beaten and burned to death just from being accused of practicing witchcraft. Another woman was tied to a tree and beaten by a mob after a man hired her to use "magic and prayer to improve his wife's health" but accused her of being a witch when his wife's health deteriorated. This strange phenomena is sadly not only happening in India, but in Kenya, Africa as well. Shockingly in the very same month (May) eight women and three men were killed when a mob dragged them from their homes and burned each of the 11 victims individually. According to the BBC, villagers found a book belonging to the victims along with "minutes" from a "witches meeting." How sad is this. Women have come so far only to still have to endure injustices such as these every day. Unfortunately the article doesnt say anything about what is being done to prevent this type of thing from occuring. Below I am posting a link to a site that talks about witchcraft in the Islam societies. Figured this would be a good link since we are finishing up Infidel.
http://wamiqjawaid.blogspot.com/2006/05/economics-of-witch-craft-in-islamic.html
This blog is created by students from Clemson University's summer II online course: ws103 -- Women in Global Perspectives. This class serves as a cross-cultural and multi-disciplinary introduction to issues facing women globally. Issues will include women and work, violence against women, reproduction and women's health, sexuality and rites of passage, women and the weight of tradition, and movements for women's empowerment.
About Us
Blog Archive
-
▼
2008
(45)
-
▼
July
(37)
- President Bush threatening access to birth control?
- Hiring Women in the Workplace in 1943
- Rowling for Charity
- Queen Victoria's Bloomers!
- Sex Testing for Olympics
- Passports Handed Out in Kosovo
- gender non-absolutism
- Sony and Their New Game
- Sexual Violence and it's Impacts in Uganda
- Women Add up in Education
- Women of the Land girls receive WWII Honors.
- Modern "Witch-hunting"
- Men's Abortion Rights?
- World News - Europe - International Herald Tribune
- African Aid Package?
- Abuse in Kenya maternal wards
- Mothers roles in Prison Sanity
- Iranian Fashion
- The Raise Project
- final project example
- Female bishops in the Church of England...
- Iranian Legislation
- can governments and reproductive rights mix? shoul...
- slave tag histories
- Aids gel: good news for women
- Men working signs are disappearing around Atlanta
- gender identification and facebook
- How must women behave?
- Women's Activist in Iran
- A remarkable gift: The tale of two sisters and a baby
- Sisters working their way out of poverty
- Rigoberta Menchu
- dance dance revolution
- Black Women in Latin America
- Google Deal with Brazil to fight Child Porn
- Women from Texas polygamous sect launch clothing line
- the power of the (first) lady
-
▼
July
(37)
Links
from the mouths of others...
"Well-behaved women seldom make history."
-Laurel Thatcher Ulrich
"There is a special place in hell for women who don't help other women."
-Madeleine K. Albright
"It is not possible to address society's needs at any level while ignoring the perspectives, priorities, and knowledge of more than half of the world's population."
-Rosina Wilshire of UNDP
"Women give life. We have the capacity to give life and light. We can take up our brooms and sweep the earth."
-Isabelle Letelier
"Womanist is to feminist as purple is to lavender."
-Alice Walker
"Violence against women will end when legal, philanthropic, governmental and non-governmental organizations and impassioned individuals unite and stand up to say it is a priority, to say that the time for ending violence is now."
-Eve Ensler
"And ain't I a woman?"
-Sojourner Truth
"Considering how dangerous everything is nothing is frightening."
-Gertrude Stein
"Also we've found that when we discuss women's problems, we need the men to be present, so that they can contribute by giving their opinions of what to do about the problem. And so that they can learn as well. If they don't learn, they don't progress."
-Rigoberta Menchu (222)
-Laurel Thatcher Ulrich
"There is a special place in hell for women who don't help other women."
-Madeleine K. Albright
"It is not possible to address society's needs at any level while ignoring the perspectives, priorities, and knowledge of more than half of the world's population."
-Rosina Wilshire of UNDP
"Women give life. We have the capacity to give life and light. We can take up our brooms and sweep the earth."
-Isabelle Letelier
"Womanist is to feminist as purple is to lavender."
-Alice Walker
"Violence against women will end when legal, philanthropic, governmental and non-governmental organizations and impassioned individuals unite and stand up to say it is a priority, to say that the time for ending violence is now."
-Eve Ensler
"And ain't I a woman?"
-Sojourner Truth
"Considering how dangerous everything is nothing is frightening."
-Gertrude Stein
"Also we've found that when we discuss women's problems, we need the men to be present, so that they can contribute by giving their opinions of what to do about the problem. And so that they can learn as well. If they don't learn, they don't progress."
-Rigoberta Menchu (222)
for reading
- Ayaan Hirsi Ali, _Infidel_ (Free Press, 2007)
- Fadela Amara, _Breaking the Silence: French Women's Voices from the Ghetto_ (U of Cal Press, 2006)
- Lijia Zhang, _"Socialism Is Great!": A Worker's Memoir of the New China_ (Atlas & Co., 2008)
- Marjane Satrapi, _Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood_ (Knopf, 2004)
- Rigoberta Menchu, _I, Rigoberta Menchu: An Indian Woman in Guatamala_ (Verso, 1987)
- Susan Estrich, _Sex & Power_ (Riverhead Books, 2000)
- Wangari Maathai, _Unbowed: A Memoir_ (Vintage, 2007)
Posts
3 comments:
Brittany,
This is truly shocking. When you mentioned witchcraft, I was thinking more like "The Crucible" but this is truly global. I have heard about cases in India, and my mom actually knew someone personally who knew how to do witchcraft. I think there is still a stigma about medical doctors and most people do not have the money for hospitals. So, they depend on these supposed witches to heal and when it goes the wrong away, they blame the witch. It is sad that this still goes on.
This is really hard to believe. I would have never thought this still existed. It is sad that women have to endure through such madness. And according to the post men are subject to this "Witch Hunting." But, i wonder if these witches are killed because they might be social outcasts like what happen in salem during the late
1600's?
Just reading up on all of this information seemscrazy to me. The idea that women are still being persecuted and burned in today's time because they are being accused of being a witc is ridiculous. It disturbed me as well to hear about the man that hired a woman that practiced witchcraft to "heal" his wife only to turn on the poor woman because his wife was not healed is sickening. It is just so hard to believe that these things are still happening and happening often. It is odd to think about these types of things I guess because it is easy to ignore something you do not know much about. Good posting though it was very interesting but very sad at the same time.
Post a Comment