Single Story Video!

Single Story Digital Creation

Well, here it is! I am actually really happy with the finished product. I got to include many of the women I researched or read their works to learn about the single story. A quote that I got from a play called "An Afghan Women" added a really nice touch and added to my video. The quote related to how our worlds are only usually connected through a screen, but in my work and research I got to read these women's stories. I included the "screen" I usually use to show that it is my portal into the world of Middle Eastern women- at least the closest I can get.
I also wrote two poems, the first I began at the beginning of the semester. The poem is made up of questions to show that I did not have any negative opinions towards these women, only questions about the media and stereotypes that had infiltrated my thoughts. The second poem I wrote more recently. I tried to tie in aspects of all of the women I have studied and read their works. They are all so amazing. Simply amazing. And I hope that my video shows how amazing I think they are.

I am also linking this in my flipbook, though I do not know if it will update with the link I sent, or if I have to resend the link.

"Tapping Our Strength"

This non-fiction piece also came from Shattering the Stereotypes. Many of the works are from Muslim or Middle Eastern women and their experiences in America. This one is (even though my single story is about Middle Eastern women), but I think it is really important to discuss. The author, Eisa Nefertari Ulen, discusses feminism and Islam. She addresses the stereotype that women who wear any of the veils associated with Islam (burka, hijab, chador, and others) are a sign of oppression. She brings up that contrary to common belief, the Qur'an does not give into the sexist idea that Eve was the sinner who should get all of the blame, but rather both Adam and Eve are to blame. Sexism is not to be associated with Islam, the culture yes but America has the same problem.
She continues and also talks about sex. This part blew my mind and it quite humorous. She brings up the fact that woman openly "campaigned" for more foreplay when decades ago Islam called for the equality of physical pleasure in marriages, and if a man brings a woman to orgasm, he receives a blessing from Allah.
She also discusses female mutilation, which apparently many people worldwide do to "celebrate Islam," but the author tells her audience that she is trying to raise awareness about it and that it wasn't originally part of the Islmaic ways, but she compares it to female mutilation such as plastic surgery. She makes it a point that no mutilation of the body for such purposes are reasonable. She discusses fashion and other things that Americans and other cultures do to fit in the misogynistic culture. She compares bras and hijabs- that women sometimes wear them for the wrong reasons: "to please men" (48). She encourages women to dress and act for themselves. She tells readers that Non-Muslim women need to stop considering women who wear the headdresses as oppressed  and Muslim women need to accept that women of any culture can wear whatever they want. Once this is accomplished the conversation of change can move on. 
She reminds her readers that everyone has gone through hard ship and that cross cultural bridges need to be made to stop the oppression and stereotypes of others. . She The memories of pain that people have faced (even internal struggles) can bring cultures together.

"An Afghan Woman"

In Shattering the Stereotypes I came across this play called "An Afghan Woman" by Bina Sharif. And wow. It brought me to tears in such a short period of time. It wasn't so much as a play, more of a short story/personal narrative. The narrator was talking directly to the reader. She was directly addressing me, and I think that is why it made me so emotional. I think the woman is never named because many women are going through or have gone through these thoughts and situations (hence the "An" in the title rather than "The"). This piece, like the others, talked a lot about the Taliban and how different it was when they took over.
I would say the hardest part for me was when she talks about silence, which is a reoccurring theme she brings up multiple times. She repeatedly says "I am silence. My silence is silent. Silent is my silence."(246). The word 'silent' almost becomes not a word because how often she says it. She discusses how she does not have a voice, her silence is actually stronger than her voice. But me, on the other side of the television/book have a voice and need to use it for her. So here I am, making my video, ready to tell her story.
Out of the other book I read, I think she faced the most hurt from it (even over Malala). She mentions kids, which she tells her audience "And when you do speak, don't forget to mention my dead children and dead parents and dead grandparents and dead great-grand parents. Don't forget to mention the history of innocent death." (250) Even as I type that I begin to tear up.

Blessing in Disguise

Unfortunately the last two books that I was supposed to get through interlibrary loan were missed so I had to act quickly. Apparently they got my email wrong and never notified me when the book was in and by the time I asked about the books they had already been sent back. This was the first time I had used interlibrary loan so I did not know how long I should be waiting for my books. But this may have been for the best.
I had to do something quick as I have barely enough time to finish the project. One of the books I did not want to ready because it seemed more into romance rather than culture and the lives of middle eastern women. I did buy the other book which is filled with a variety of works such as plays, poems, art, fiction and non fiction. Instead of doing two blog posts per novel, I am going to do one blog post because these works are shorter. I am going to have to make up my work, but because I have been doing other research and the other books I had read were very insightful I feel I have a newer and stronger understanding of middle eastern women. Even though this will impact my grade, I think this will actually be more effective for my single story.

Persepolis- Part 2

So Marjane become quite the rebel. She ends up moving in with multiple different people and ends up on the streets and becomes sick. This allows her to reconnect with her parents. She ends up getting married but then divorced. Over this period she has run ins with the "moral police" who can really do anything they want to her. But while in Iran she does any social activism she can, including making a shorter veil to wear. It is Maji's grandmother who really helps her through all of this, and even reveals that she divorced once. She encourages Marji to leave the country, though it will be hard to leave her  parents. In the end, she leaves her parents and heads to Europe. The novel ends with "Freedom had a price".
The ending was hard for me. My family means so much to me and I don't think I would ever be able to chose freedom over my parents. But I am so glad I read this because it really helps my single story. Of course, this all happened to Marjane a while ago, but women in the Middle East still discrimination. One thing that Marjane challenges her society on is dress. She was forced to wear a veil and other covering clothes, which Marjane recognizes is more that modesty; it is taking away the basic rights of women. Marjane, who becomes very interested in sex as a teenager, goes from seeing the discussion of sex as liberated by European terms, but then as "slutty" by Iranian. She, like me, got to see a comparison between two cultures on sex. I think in the US sex is now becoming a more open conversation and less about shame, but especially when discussed by women can be seen as slutty. Each story I have read so far is about these super strong women who have been oppressed by their society.
These women are incredible. They are super heroes.
The fact that they are writing about their experiences as social justice activism is so empowering. I am so amazed by these women and I am constantly inspired by them.

Persepolis- Part 1

This story begins with Marjane (Marji) who is 10 years old after the Iranian revolution. It is interesting getting another young women's perspective on the events happening around her. Of course, this graphic novel was written years after what had happened, but still is effective coming from a young adult's perspective. Marjane is very similar to Malala. Both females grew up in a culture that oppresses women. Malala was raised in a very supportive family that continued to make social justice a priority. Marjane was raised like most other people, in a family that followed the orders of society and government. Both women have also seen their community affected by violence. Marjane at one point has to live in a bomb shelter and a neighboring Jewish family is killed. Both girls are forced by their culture to wear head scarfs and act a certain way, yet both long for equal rights. Both also have an obsession with American music and pop culture. At one point Marjane buys music on the black market. Marjane grew up before Malala, but it is important to see that many young girls have been oppressed by their own culture for a very long time.

I am Malala- Part 3

I am so inspired by Malala's journey. She continued to fight for her rights to an education and free speech. Even when the Taliban was at its highest reign of power, she continued to study and inspire herself. Up to the day when she was shot, she was going to school and not wearing her burqa. So young and brilliant, she never backed down. Even after the shooting, which I probably would have stopped fighting, she is determined to spend the rest of her life helping others get the basic human rights that every human deserves. 

I think for my single story, she has really helped me see the new movement and generation of change in the Middle East. She is braver than I will probably ever be. I also needed to see how 9/11 affected her world. The Middle East is still another completely different world, but there are similarities between my world and Malala's. Both of us have seen oppression and powerful movements for human rights. We have seen the government turn their backs on us. I don't want to compare myself to Malala because she is just so brave and strong, but I think we both have recognized problems within our society and do not want to keep quiet within them. Malala has made change happen. We can make change happen.