Dec 17, 2008

Obama's Quest for his African Roots

This is my favorite photo of Barack Obama. It was taken on his way to the village market in Kogelo, Kenya.

He tells in his autobiography “Dreams of my Father (a book I recommend to everyone), that he barely knew his Kenyan father and met him only once in his life. Yet, after graduating from Columbia University he went back to Kenya to visit his Kenyan family and spent several days in the village with his step grandmother, accompanying her to the village market, the farm and getting to know the extended family. He visited uncles and aunts, nephews and cousins, many of whom did not even know that their “brother” had fathered a son with a white woman while studying abroad. He visited the graves of his father and grandfather he never knew, where, overwhelmed with emotion he broke down and wept. Like a lost child he felt that he had finally connected with his ancestral roots. It is a story for the ages.

Columnist Joe Klein writing in Time magazine says that this book "may be the best-written memoir ever produced by an American politician." I agree.

Happy Holidays!

Obama's Quest for his African Roots

12/17/2008 10:22:00 PM , ,

Dec 16, 2008


Saudi Cleric Favours One-Eye Veil

A Muslim cleric in Saudi Arabia has called on women to wear a full veil, or niqab, that reveals only one eye. Sheikh Muhammad al-Habadan said showing both eyes encouraged women to use eye make-up to look seductive. The question of how much of her face a woman should cover is a controversial topic in many Muslim societies.

The niqab is more common in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf, but women in much of the Muslim Middle East wear a headscarf which covers only their hair. Sheikh Habadan, an ultra-conservative cleric who is said to have wide influence among religious Saudis, was answering questions on the Muslim satellite channel al-Majd.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7651231.stm

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This is an interesting story that raises several human rights questions. I posed some of these questions before my Human Rights class and it generated extensive debates among students. The comments posted on the course discussion forum were as always engaging and insightful.

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Posted by BONNY IBHAWOH (HISTORY_3XX3_X_T1_08) on Friday, October 3, 2008 10:03pm
Subject: Saudi cleric favours one-eye veil

This is another example of the “Universalism vs. Cultural relativism” debate we have been having in class. A Saudi cleric wants women to wear veils that show only one of their eyes. Cultural/religious expression or human rights violation?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7651231.stm

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Posted by xxxxxxx on Saturday, October 4, 2008 10:25am
Subject: Re: Saudi cleric favours one-eye veil
After I read this article, I went to other related articles posted and only after reading more I have come to the decision that this "one-eye veil" is both a religious expression but at the same time a human rights violation.

The niqab is very normal for people in the Middle East, along with the hijab. I believe that it is a religious expression because it is told to them in the Koran. What I don't understand is why they are deciding to change things now? It is at this changing point that I think this whole issue is a human right violation due to the fact that the Koran hasn't changed therefore implementing the "one-eye veil" and deeming it a religious expression just doesn't make sense to me.

So that's what I think...for now. thoughts anyone??

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Posted by xxxxxxxxxx on Saturday, October 4, 2008 12:12pm
Subject: Re: Saudi cleric favours one-eye veil
I also read one of the related articles on the site and it gave a lot more background information. I think it's hard to say whether this is a human rights violation mostly because it is difficult to make myself completely unbiased by the fact that I have grown up in Canada and have no idea what it would be like to live in an Islamic nation. In putting my own views aside, the one eyed veil seems to be a srtict adherance to the Koran, but does that make it something that EVERYONE must follow? in the related article I read it stated that many women choose a more contemorary view on covering up, and feel that the full veil is an old cutsom.

I think that it should be the woman's choice whether or not she wants to commit to the full veil or not. for example, here in Canada it is now legal for a woman to go topless. This just gives a woman the freedom to choose whether or not she wants to wear a shirt in ublic or not. I know that both of these situations are on completely opposite ends of the spectrum, but they are related in a way that human rights should be about a person's right to choose.

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Posted by xxxxxxxx on Monday, October 13, 2008 8:11pm
Subject: Re: Saudi cleric favours one-eye veil
The issue is not that woman are choosing a specific form of attire. It is essentially a personal choice that harms no one. The only problem I have is that woman are being made to think that it is their religious obligation. Their decisions are not based on an understanding that whatever this cleric is representing is essentially his personal extreme interpretation of the Qur’an and Hadith, but rather its being portrayed as what Allah wants women to do. Whereas the reality is that women during the Prophet Mohammed’s time; peace be upon him, we doctors, warriors, teachers…etc. all roles that could have been impossible to be done with one eye! In fact, the prophets wife were recognized by their faces, so even the veil with both eyes showing is not seem as an obligation by the majority of the Muslim clerics.

The problem is not what women are choosing to wear; it is the fact that they are being misled. So, if a woman knows that it is not a divine order from God that asks her to wear the veil and still chooses to wear it, then I would not consider the veil a violation of human rights. However, if she wears the veil because she thinks she “has” to, then that is a violation of human rights. Because if she was not made to think that this is the will of God she would not be wearing it.

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Posted by xxxxxxxxxx on Tuesday, October 14, 2008 11:03am
Subject: Re: Saudi cleric favours one-eye veil
I think this issue is about the woman's right to choose how she is to be submissive to Allah - whether it be modest dress, an hijab, a burka, or a one-eyed veil - and the infrastructure and support to hold sacred that right to choose. Now there will always be complications, a husband's family that is more conservative or extreme than the woman's upbringing - which would put pressure on her to decide their way - this will always happen..

However, in a society that endorses the right to choose and not be legally beholden to a certain interpretation, seems a step in the right direction - or separation of religion and state, and the freedom to choose the particular sect of Islam that expresses it's submission to Allah in ways that aligns with one own's thinking. This would protect women from the wims and re-interpretations of various imams and provide more stability.

But even the right to choose and the separation of religion and state is not a universally upheld idea...though, as Dr. Ibhowah says, if these things align with texts and scriptures that, in this case, Islam holds as truth, then this can be pointed out to this particular sect of Islam - using their own revered and upheld truths against their interpretation.

And if that fails...it is up to the muslim community, in particular those who uphold the basic rights of women to choose, to put pressure on them. The pressure must come from the greater muslim community...

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Posted by xxxxxxxx on Saturday, October 18, 2008 12:48pm
Subject: Re: Saudi cleric favours one-eye veil
I think that the wearing of a one-eye veil, or whatever else a Muslim woman wishes to wear in order to promote her piety and religious faith, is a culturally relative option and decision that does not infringe on said woman's human rights. However, I think that it ought to be her analysis of the Quran and Islam that brings her to that decision. Rather, the response that she gets from her religious and societal community in regards to her decision is where a human rights violation is possible and unacceptable.

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Posted by xxxxxxxxxx on Wednesday, October 29, 2008 6:01pm
Subject: Re: Saudi cleric favours one-eye veil

I agree completely with xxxxxx... if a woman feels that she "has" to wear the veil (esp. a one eyed one), then it is a human rights violation because she is in a way, being coerced to wear such attire, which would be very restricting. Taking into account the historical background of where these veils and such came from, and looking at the issue during the Prophet's time, we see that the religious call for the one-eyed veil is extreme and not necessarily needed to fulfill the demands of modesty required for Islam. Therefore, under no circumstances should any woman be forced to wear this type of covering (by force or subtle manipulation). If she understands that she does not "have" to wear it, but chooses to wear it, in a completely free decision, then that is her choice and she has a right to that. The problem is... how can we assure that this choice is her own, and not influenced by others?

One-Eye Veil: Cultural/religious expression or human rights violation?

12/16/2008 09:11:00 PM , , , ,

Nov 23, 2008

A moving rendition of "Lift every voice" at an Obama victory celebration in Washington on the night of the election.

Obama Election Victory Celebration

11/23/2008 12:16:00 AM , ,

Nov 8, 2008


Here is a moving letter I received from one of my former students a day after the election of Barack Obama. It is a reminder of the unique privilege and responsibilities that we have as educators to open minds and hearts. Obama's victory just made my job as a teacher of Africa, human rights and social justice a bit easier and a lot more rewarding. This, too, is Obama's gift.

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Dear Dr. Ibhawoh,

My name is ............, I was in some of your classes last year andthe year before that.

I just felt like writing to you about the election last night. I wokeup this morning wishing that I was going to get up and go to one ofyour lectures or to our diasporic seminar to experience this!

I'm very excited by Obama's election and I'm sure, regardless of yourpolitical opinions, you would be too from an historian's perspective. Ikeep thinking about how today's lecture would go if I were in myAmerican History class talking about the Civil Rights Movement, or if Iwas doing my presentation today on racial sentiments in America'sentertainment business... or any kind of experience other than mymundane job!

I'm done school now, but I'm CRAVING debate and discussion andenlightenment! I just wanted to let you know how much your classesinspired me and what an affect you had on my daily thoughts. Hope you have an exciting week of classes.

OBAMA'S GIFT

11/08/2008 11:31:00 AM , ,

Nov 6, 2008

Of the many commentaries that have been made about Obama’s historic election as the 44th President of the United States, this is the one I find most moving. It puts Obama’s win in historical context recognizing the struggles and sacrifices of the many that came before him.

Rosa Parks sat so that Martin Luther King could walk
Martin Luther King walked so that Obama could run
Obama ran so that our children can fly

Obama's Election brings a new Dawn!

11/06/2008 08:52:00 PM , ,

Oct 13, 2008

This is perhaps the most interesting commentary on the “unknowability” of Barack Obama that I have seen. It provides interesting insights into the subtext of the rhetoric about Obama in US political discourse.
Think you know the real Barack Obama? The McCain campaign has no idea who he is or what his plans are for America. Baltimore City Paper columnist Vincent Williams believes “unknown” is code for “other.”

Knowing the "real" Barack Obama

10/13/2008 07:01:00 PM , ,

Aug 23, 2008


We are privileged in Hamilton to be hosting the Gandhi – King Day planned for Saturday
October 4, 2008, a special event honouring these two seminal twentieth century visionaries. The combination of the 60th anniversary of the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi and the 40th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. evokes powerful symbolism. Preparations for the Day which includes the Gandhi Peace Festival, the afternoon workshop on “LIVING GANDHI AND KING TODAY, and the evening dinner are well advanced. Dr. David Adams, former UNESCO Culture of Peace coordinator, will address the Peace Festival on “A strategy to go from the culture of war to a culture of peace”. Dr. Anne Pearson and Rev. Samuel Billy Kyles will be the panelists at the afternoon workshop. Rev. Kyles will speak at the dinner on “The Power of a Dream”. Sponsors of the Gandhi-King Day are McMaster University's Centre for Peace Studies. Sponsors of the Gandhi-King Day are McMaster University's Centre for Peace Studies, the India Canada Society of Hamilton and Region, the Hamilton Black History Committee.

Gandhi-King Day 2008

8/23/2008 08:41:00 PM

Jul 7, 2008

Written by Michael Swan, The Catholic Register
Friday, 27 June 2008

TORONTO - The founding executive director of Project Ploughshares — one of Canada’s leading Christian voices for peace — wants Canadian troops to stay in Afghanistan, for now.Following 10 days interviewing Afghanis and Canadians in Afghanistan’s capital Kabul, Project Ploughshares senior researcher Ernie Regehr concludes Canadian troops are not creating the peace and stability necessary for economic and social development in Kandahar province. However, the soldiers are still necessary to prevent an all-out civil war. “The country really is in deep-rooted conflict between the southern communities and the northern communities,” said Regehr. ....

(This story includes an interview with me where I argue that Canada does not have a diplomatic strategy in Afghanistan and lacks both the will and military muscle to pursue a policy separate from the Americans)

Full story here

http://www.catholicregister.org/content/view/2005/849/

Canada needed in Afghanistan

7/07/2008 07:33:00 PM ,

May 19, 2008

“Routes to Freedom: Reflections on the Bicentenary of the Abolition of the Slave Trade”

Presentation at the Conference on the Bicentenary of the of the Slave Trade organised by the Faculty of Law at the University of Ottawa, Canada. The conference explored the reality and impact of the transatlantic slave trade, anti-slavery movements and their link to contemporary relationships between the peoples of Africa and the world.

This presentation is titled:
"Managing the Social Residues of Slavery: Slave Stigmatization and Agitation for Social Inclusion in Niger Delta 1915-1945"

Reflections on the the Abolition of the Slave Trade”

5/19/2008 09:38:00 PM , ,

May 18, 2008


Moolade (Movie Review)
By
Bonny Ibhawoh

Film Review

Moolaadé. 2004. Ousmane Sembéne (Director)

The fact that scholars and practitioners cannot agree on how best to describe the practice is an indication of the controversy and impassioned debates that the topic generates. “Female circumcision,” “female genital mutilation” and “female genital cutting” are all used to describe the practice, common in some African and Moslem communities, of removing varying amounts of the female genitalia, usually in adolescent girls. It is a procedure that causes the death of many girls and women, adversely affects their sexual wellbeing and makes childbirth hazardous. For many decades attempts to stop the practice were framed in terms of women’s health and addressed as such by the World Health Organisation and other advocacy groups but with limited success. With the adoption of the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) in 1979, the practice began to be framed more as a women’s rights issue. Apart from the human rights dimension, female genital cutting is a topic on which several other themes intersect -- religion, culture, health, sexuality, gender relations, generational tensions and even local politics. These are all issues that veteran Senegalese novelist and film director Ousmane Sembene tackles in the engaging and provocative film Mooladé.

Set in a remote Muslim village in Burkina Faso, Mooladé is the story of Collé, a defiant and strong-willed second wife of an elder in a West African village who refuses to allow four little girls to undergo the traditional circumcision ceremony. After losing two daughters in childbirth due to her own circumcision, Collé had refused to allow her surviving daughter, Amasatou, to face the ordeal of being cut. She is thrust into an unfolding drama of village politics when she offers Mooladé (protection) to the girls who escape the circumcision ceremony. Mooladé is the mystical protection which in the local custom can be invoked to provide asylum. Collé’s interference draws the ire of her deeply patriarchal community which sees her action as an affront on its culture and Islamic religion. Collé can lift the Mooladé with a single word and comes under the intense pressure of the male elders, her husband and some fellow women to do so. Her resolute refusal to lift the Mooladé draws other women and girls to her cause and sets the stage for a standoff with the village elders that erupts in the centre of the village and shatters the tranquility of the community.

Unlike many recent Hollywood made films about Africa, Mooladé is a story about Africa made by Africans from a distinctly local perspective. Yet, it speaks to universal themes of power, oppression and emancipation. In depicting one woman’s struggle to protect others from an oppressive and inhibiting tradition, Sembene brings great sensitivity and nuance to topic that is often discussed from simplistic, patronizing and polarizing standpoints. He deftly explores not only the conflict between local traditional values and the influence of modern ideas, but also the gender and generational tensions within a community largely isolated from the outside world. Although the film obviously seeks to challenge the practice of female genital cutting and raise questions about its legitimacy, it does so with sensitivity to underlying social complexities. It provides a glimpse into the perspective of local African tribesmen who see the practice of female genital cutting as process of “purification” and older women who see it as a necessary rite of passage for their daughters. However disagreeable their positions may appear, Sembene brings their voices to the story in a way that is neither condescending nor patronizing.

Beyond its message, Mooladé is a cinematic delight. Sembene assembles a group of colourful characters that add depth to his portrayal of rural African life and make for a more compelling storyline. Although this film is essentially about the local tribulations of an African village, it still mange to engage the outside world through two intriguing characters -- a local itinerant vendor, nicknamed Mercenaire who previously worked as an aid worker, and a favoured son of the village Chief, Ibrahima, who returns home from his studies in France to take a bride. Both characters having seen the world beyond the village and convinced of the need for change become unlikely allies of Collé and the village women in their struggles to end the practice of female genital cutting. Such unlikely partnerships forged across ethnic, class, gender and generational lines have historically been crucial to the success of human rights struggles. In the campaign against the practice of female genital cutting, they are essential and Mooladé shows us why.

Ultimately, this movie is not simply about oppression and social turmoil or about progressive citizens and regressive traditions. It is more about the resilience of the human spirit and the tenacity of ordinary people determined to change their destinies. It is an excursion into the dilemmas that confront a society caught in the midst of social and cultural change. For the human rights scholar and teacher, it provides a subtle but invaluable resource for raising awareness about the practice of female genital cutting and offers a means of understanding and explaining a controversial topic to an audience unfamiliar with the social and cultural intricacies associated with the practice.

Bonny Ibhawoh
McMaster University, Canada

Moolade (Film Review)

5/18/2008 11:41:00 AM ,
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