Category Archives: Feminism

Throwback Thursday: “Like a Virgin” by Madonna on its 30th Anniversary | Dame Magazine

Were you watching the MTV Video Music Awards in 1984? You’d remember. It was the year a newly famous Madonna scandalized the world by slinking around an enormous prop wedding cake and humping the stage in a lacy bridal gown while singing “Like a Virgin,” a hit that turned 30 years old this week. 30! Compared to the Mileys and Beyoncés and Katys of today, Madonna’s performance seems downright tame—nary a nipple or crotch shot in sight—but it made heads explode in the uber-conservative ’80s, and without it, and the rest of her entertainingly calculated button-pushing, Miley wouldn’t have a platform sneaker to stand on. Since her first self-titled record came out in 1983, Madonna has become the fourth best-selling act in the world—behind only The Beatles, Elvis, and Michael Jackson—and if we had any doubt that this would be her trajectory after Madonna debuted, “Like a Virgin” laid those to rest. Seeing this performance of it again, three decades later, is like watching for the very first time.

via Throwback Thursday: “Like a Virgin” by Madonna on its 30th Anniversary | Dame Magazine.

A woman among three arrested on suspicion of attacking IOF soldiers

FalastiNews reported that the Israeli Occupation Forces on Wednesday arrested Aida Jabareen (30) after stopping her vehicle at a makeshift checkpoint east of Hebron, and accusing her of planning to carry out hit-and-run attack against soldiers.

Aida was then arrested and taken to an unknown detention center.

via A woman among three arrested on suspicion of attacking IOF soldiers.

Taylor Swift in the Blank Space video is the woman we’ve been waiting for | Jessica Valenti | Comment is free | The Guardian

And now, in her new Blank Space video, Swift performs the very unflattering image that the public has foisted upon her, as if to say: You want boy-crazy? I’ll give you boy-crazy!

Did Taylor Swift make you mad? (Courtesy of Ryan Seacrest)

This is the Taylor Swift we’ve been waiting for: the Taylor Swift who smiles while she offers up a hearty “fuck you”.

The video for Blank Space is a sort of dystopian feminist fairy tale: Swift is surrounded by woodland creatures and dressed in gorgeous gowns. She has picnics of champagne and sweets, all while in the company of a generically handsome, if unremarkable, man. (Blank Space, indeed!)

via Taylor Swift in the Blank Space video is the woman we’ve been waiting for | Jessica Valenti | Comment is free | The Guardian.

Jerusalem: Historical Illiteracy And Political Exploitation. | Nervana

First, it is rather pointless for Arabs and Muslims to deny the ancient history of the Temple Mount. It is not up to us to decide where Jews should have their holy site. If Jews view the Temple Mount compound as holy to them, so be it. Acknowledging the religious importance of the site to the Jews would be a smart move, as it will strip right-wing Israelis from their fundamental portrayal of Arabs as thieves of history.

In addition, although Muslims label the Western wall of the Temple Mount as the “Buraq wall,” where the Prophet Mohamed landed during his night visit to the city, there is no need to ignore the ancient history of the wall. Jews believe it is the remaining part of their destroyed Temple. The Prophet did not build the wall, it existed before him, and there are many reliable historical sources that prove how Jews used to pray at that site, even after the destruction of the Temple, and well before the rise of Islam.

On the other hand, Israelis needs to remember that their ancient history was not a perfect example of religious tolerance. Following their return from exile in Babylon, Jews excluded foreign wives and children from the membership of Israel, a harsh reminder how the holy city was in many occasions, a city of intolerance, just as in her current, modern time.

Second, acknowledging history does not necessarily mean conceding to demands for prayers at the holy site. Arabs should highlight to the world their part of the story. The Romans destroyed the second Temple hundreds of years before the Arab conquest of the city ___ a fact that Arabs should continue to elaborate and emphasize to the world after showing empathy and sympathy to Jewish claim. Christian rulers, whether in the Byzantine or crusader era, were much more unkind to the Jews than Muslims. According to the Jewish virtual library, the whole Temple Mount area was badly desecrated and was only cleared and restored after Muslim conquest.

Third, while it is smart to acknowledge the ancient Jewish history of the compound, it is also crucial to highlight the current misery of Jerusalem and the failure to achieve peace. East Jerusalem, including the Temple Mount, has technically been occupied land since 1967. Israel bars Palestinians below the age of 50 from praying in al-Aqsa. Security barriers in the West Bank prevent more Palestinians from reaching the holy compound. How can Israelis expect Palestinians to be more understanding while they live under such occupation? Arabs should remind the world how under their rule, the great Jewish scholar Maimonides visited the Temple Mount in 1165. That was an era of harmony and peace, unlike today’s tension and injustice. Israel must understand that the political deadlock compounds tension and does not leave any room for religious tolerance. Peace would strip radicals on both sides from abusing religion for political gains.

As such, I did not follow my colleague’s advice, and started reading the book as it should be read, from page one. It was an eye-opener. As Armstrong poignantly pointed out, “the history of Jerusalem reminds us that nothing ___ not even mortal hatred ___ is permanent.”

via Jerusalem: Historical Illiteracy And Political Exploitation. | Nervana.

Let’s Dance. | Rebelle Society

By Leila Hussein

Puddles.

Let me never stop jumping in puddles.

When I’m 80, I still want to be the kind of girl

(and I say girl because I will be),

who dreams and blows kisses

at life on a sea breeze.

Swings.

Let me never stop going on swings.

Let the winter time not touch my heart

too late like the others,

let me discover my wings

even more as I get older.

Clouds.

Let me never stop wishing on a cloud,

and feeling my own magnificence

envelop me as I look to the sky and what I can be,

what I really am.

Dandelions.

Let me never stop blowing

dandelions down the street,

chuckling as they flee,

like a bale of hay

skipping merrily in my heart.

I am so glad for the art of living,

for the song in my heart that wills me

to get up in the morning and sing.

And dream.

For the little girl in me

Who likes to dream big.

And who will never die,

I hope.

So if you see me skipping on raindrops

down the street at age 90, please join me.

And remind me of this poem.

I will be glad to meet your acquaintance

and dance with you.

Cherry pies.

Never let me stop from wanting

to eat them when they are red hot,

because the child in me

can’t stop herself from tasting it.

A person’s touch.

Let me never become immune to it.

Ever.

Jazz.

Never let me stop feeling it in my spirit,,

even as the wind whispers age.

Fairy tales.

Let me never stop telling them,

to my nephew, my nieces or to myself.

Laughter.

Let me never stop chuckling.

Belly-ripping roars that threaten

to overcome me and have me hunched over

with tears that pour.

Babies.

Let me never stop learning from them.

As their eyes melt forth and speak of a wisdom,

a heart centuries old.

Flowers.

Let me never stop smelling them,

standing in awe at their beauty.

Let me never forget my surroundings

and tune it all out,

nature and its entirety.

Hope.

Let it never leave me.

Even when faith has forgotten its way.

Love.

Let it never stop bleeding out of me.

Every tiny essence of it.

Songs.

Let them never leave me.

Even when there is silence around.

Water.

Let it always lead the way home.

And keep me strong and healed,

connecting me to truth.

Mud.

Let me dance in it. Barefoot.

Preferably with people I love.

But alone is good too.

The Sea.

Let it never stop calling me,

inviting me to lay in its rhythms,

and soothe myself at ocean floor.

The Sky.

Let me always look up at it.

Wondering about the heights

I will climb in my time left on this earth.

Life.

Let me never believe the myth

that it is long, arduous or hard.

Let me always be willing

to let it in just one more time..

Until the sun comes up once more.

via Let’s Dance. | Rebelle Society.

Standing in the Firing Squad: An Interview with Brianna Wu

The culprit is obvious. It’s male privilege. And, if there is a mecca of male privilege, it’s gamedev.

It’s filled with men that frequently harbor resentment towards women they don’t understand. While they intellectually feel we should be here, they unconsciously assume it’s their space and that their comfort is paramount. There’s no way to describe it but really, really shitty. I think we all address it in our own way. I try to make it better by never taking any shit, and speaking up on this stuff. I don’t accept excuses. That’s not going to work for everyone, but I think I’m helping make it better.

via Standing in the Firing Squad: An Interview with Brianna Wu.

A Conversation with Pussy Riot | Oslo Freedom Forum

Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Maria Alyokhina, members of the Russian feminist punk rock collective Pussy Riot, talk candidly with the Daily Beast’s Michael Moynihan about the dehumanizing conditions of Russian prisons. After spending 21 months in jails and Siberian labor camp, they describe how prisoners are put to work for 16 hours a day, given showers once a week, and are often beaten while administrators look the other way. With characteristic dark humor and defiance, Tolokonnikova and Alyokhina discuss their ongoing fight against authoritarianism in Russia and their latest project, a website that details state corruption and unjust imprisonment, truths that the Russian government is trying to bury.

via A Conversation with Pussy Riot | Oslo Freedom Forum.