Chapter one of Outcasts United tells the story of how Luma al-Mufleh came to coach a group of refugees from all around the world. The theme that came through in this chapter was gender empowerment. Gender empowerment is addressed briefly in chapters 2 and 9 of the textbook we will study in the fall. The title of chapter 2 is "Population." The title of chapter 9 is "Development."
Gender empowerment is the opportunity for women to develop their own unique gifts and abilities. It is easy to take for granted that females have the same opportunities to participate in school, sports and work as boys. As seen in this chapter, this is not the case everywhere in the world. Luma grew up in Aman, Jordan (see map of Jordan by clicking the accompanying link)http://mapsnworld.com/political-world-map/middle-east-political-map.jpg. Jordan is one of the most liberal countries in the Middle East. Many of Jordan's neighbors are/were dictatorships that use a combination of military might and Islamic law as a means to control and manipulate their citizens. In order to justify their rule, dictators believe that the people are too stupid to make good decisions. They believe that if the people are given a choice the country will end up in chaos. Ironically, because people are easier to control when they are poor and stupid, dictators often make it difficult to get an education. Almost all dictatorships are also male dominant societies. By allowing men to limite the progress of women, it also helps the dictator accomplish his goal; control people through force and coersion. In contrast, in all of the most developed countries more women graduate from high school, college and graduate schools than men.
On the other hand, education levels among women in the Middle East are some of the lowest in the world. Here is a list of countries in the Middle East and the percentage of the women that have at least some secondary education (7th grade on) Jordan 57%, Lebanon32%, Iraq 22% and in Afghanistan only 5% of women attend any type of secondary school. Education is related to other indicators of empowerment. For every year in school, a woman can expect to make an additional 15% more money during her lifetime. She will also live longer and have fewer children (that is why gender empowerment is part of the chapter on population). As mentioned in the book many of Jordan's laws are based on Sharia law-that is, laws are based on parts of the Koran (Islam's Bible). In Jordan the testimony of two women equalled that of one man. A woman had to get permission from her husband to get a passport and honor killings (where a man kills a woman for being unfaithful or for bringing shame on the family) were given a great deal of leniency. In the book Under the Sky it talks about how it is common for a young man to rape a girl he wants to marry because it will bring down the price of her dowry. (A dowry is the amount of money a man has to pay the father of the bride. Johnny Lingo and his 8 cows is real!)
Family honor is a big deal in Muslim countries. Family honor has a lot to do with the proper behavior of women. Before marriage a woman should always have a chapperone when with a young man. That is why Luma's grandmother made such a big deal when she was playing soccer with men she didn't know. In Saudi Arabia it is even more severe. An unmarried woman can be killed for being caught alone with a man.
So, even though Luma had the good fortune of attending the best high school in Jordan and going to college in America, she felt that all of her education would be lost if she stayed in Jordan. While she would have had a life of ease and comfort, she would not have had the freedom to develop her talents and have the freedom she had in America. Can you imagine having to decide whether to take the easy road and please your family or follow your heart and risk being cut off completely from your family. Luma chose the latter and was indeed cut off from her family. I hope in your case, choosing the harder road and taking AP classes will make you a stornger person and thereby make you a better son, daughter, brother or sister.
About Me
- world geography
- For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even also as I am known. The intent of my writing is to discuss concepts that, in some way, will provide the reader with a new perspective; be it a humorous, serious, religious, political or socio-cultural- I hope that someone can benefit from my insights and experiences.
3 comments:
Luma Mufleh seemed like a very interesting and brave person who was introduced well in the first chapter. I thought she had great courage to leave her family just to have more equal opportunities as a women, although, I have to wonder what would have happened if she would have come from a poor family. Would she have left her family for America, or would she have stayed to help them like so many people would? I think one of the reasons as to why she left also had to do with the fact that she did not want to be forced into an arranged marriage. If she would have been poor, she would have had to marry someone because of their position, not because she wanted to. By being rich she probably could have more of a choice in who she married, but not much of a choice.
Another reason as to why Luma was able to move to America was because she was sent to a good school with good education. It is amazing how education can really open up where people can go and what they can do. And then the fact that the school was such an open-minded school really helped her see what it is like with more freedoms.
Although Luma had to give up her family, she chose having more rights instead of staying in a place where there were not equal rights between genders. I really find it amazing that some people give up their whole lives just to go to places where there is more freedom, and some people live in places with more freedom and choices, and just take it for granted.
I agree with Sierra that Luma was introduced into the story well. I think it is interesting, as well as inspiring, that Luma was strong enought to stand up an take action in a comunity that restricted that behavior in women.She was very brave to be able to risk being cut off from her family, just to ensure that she would have the opportunity to be the person she wanted to be.
When I hear stories like this it makes me wonder what I would have done in the same situation. It is hard to know, because you really can't until you're put in a similar or same situation. It makes you think a little.
Sierra is right that Luma would not have been able to move to the United States if she did not come from a rich family. The sad thing is that, because of their poverty, most women in the world are limited in their opportunities for learning and earning. In many cultures, a woman's value/status is based on the number of children she is able to bear. Rapid population growth is a huge factor that severely limits the development of poor countries.
Ria is right about Luma's courage. How hard would it be to choose between your family that provided you the opportunity for growth and learning in the first place and your future opportunities for growth and learning. In the last year, millions of women and men in Northern Africa and the Middle East have demonstrated incredible courage by protesting the dictators, who for decades, denied or restricted most freedoms that we take for granted. Revolutions have taken place, leading to new democratic governments in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya. Citizens of Syria continue to battle their government for regime change. The irony is that, as mentioned earlier, the large numbers of young people with limited prospects for jobs and education have been instrumental in overthrowing their governments. In every one of these countries, citizens willingly sacrificed their lives in hopes that their sacrifice would lead to freedom for future generations. I hope one of the things that you feel as you read this book is a feeling of gratitude for the many privileges you enjoy.
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