Blog 12: Religous Division

Women Arrested in Mumbai for Complaining on Facebook

Last Sunday a woman in Mumbai was arrested for posting a Facebook status that “created or promoted enmity, hatred or ill will between classes”. This woman, Shaheen Dhadha, posted a status that questioned the importance of Shiv Sena leader Bal Thackeray. Shiv Sena leader Bal Thackeray died and to show respect during his funeral there was a “bandh”. This means stores in Mumbai were closing. Shaheen Dhadha posted a status saying that people like Thackeray die every day therefore a bandh is unnecessary. Dhadha was arrested as well as her friend who “liked” the status; both women were sentenced to 14 days in jail after a bond of 15,000 rupees ($270) was paid. Days after the arrest of Dhadha, 2,000 Shiv Sena workers vandalized Dhadha’s family’s orthopedic clinic. There are people outraged at the women and there is also a majority of people outraged at the government for arresting the women. Former Supreme Court Judge Markandey Katju defended Dhadha saying, “To my mind it is absurd to say that protesting against a bandh hurts religious sentiments.” There is a lot of talk about how only these two women were arrested, while hundreds of other posts like this were made on Facebook.

This article is a clear case of rights being violated. All people should have the right of freedom of speech; but not all places around the world have this. In the United States no one would be arrested for posting a comment on Facebook; it is interesting to see what little freedom other countries have. Shaheen Dhadha posted a status on Facebook protesting against a bandh and the government arrests her for disrupting religious views. Countries around the world have limited freedom when religion and government are involved. This article can also relate to women’s rights; would they have been arrested if they were male?

 http://india.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/11/19/women-arrested-in-mumbai-for-complaining-on-facebook/ 

Blog 11: “Religion” keeps a woman from getting a lifesaving abortion

A woman, Savita Halappanavar, arrived at her University Hospital on October 21, complaining of pain. When doctors examined her, they stated she was miscarrying. They would not remove the fetus because she was 17 weeks pregnant and it still had a heartbeat.  Her husband told reporters that the staff informed the couple that “This is a Catholic country.” When he told them that he was neither Catholic nor Ire land (coming from India), they told him they couldn’t do anything. The doctors told them that they couldn’t save the baby and Savita was in agony. She came to accept the fact that her baby wouldn’t survive. She asked if they could not save the baby could they at least end the pregnancy and the consultant said as long as there was a heartbeat they couldn’t do anything. They did not remove the fetus until its heartbeat stopped on its own. It was only then that they moved her t intensive care. She died on October 28 from septicaemia. An investigation has opened and Prime Minister Enda Kenny is facing a wave of outrage over the case. In Ireland, a woman has a constitutional right to an abortion if her life is in danger but in Savita’s case that didn’t happen.

This issue is widely considered around the world. Not only is this happening in just Ireland but everywhere. Places where pro-life is considered is often putting an unborn baby above a mother’s life, knowing the baby won’t survive. It could be considered a social problem if there was a lot of uproar and the society was trying to do something about it, but there wasn’t. Globally it is an issue because the same exact problem is happening around the world. No one is necessarily saying whether pro-life or pro-choice is right but when it comes to the life of an already living body to one that is not yet developed and definitely not going to survive, whose life should be put first?? It could even be considered a personal issue because Savita’s husband couldn’t do anything about his wife’s agony for both the pain the fetus was causing and the pain of losing it. He had to stand by and watch his wife die because she wasn’t given the option of abortion, due to the dominant religion. The fact that things like this still continues to strive is crazy. A mother’s life is just as important as a child’s life especially when it comes to a life and death matter between an unviable fetus and a woman’s life.

http://www.salon.com/2012/11/14/religion_keeps_a_woman_from_getting_a_life_saving_abortion/ 

Blog 11: Dalai Lama tells Internet that 'religion is no longer adequate'

                The question of today is whether faith is enough to curb the violence and unrest in today’s world. Dalai Lama is unsure of the answer. Dalai Lama, a world-renowned religious leader, made a statement that many might find odd on his Facebook feed. This statement was more than likely a response to the graphic turmoil that’s gripping the Middle East and other parts of the world. Dalai Lama’s statement was: "All the world’s major religions, with their emphasis on love, compassion, patience, tolerance, and forgiveness can and do promote inner values. But the reality of the world today is that grounding ethics in religion is no longer adequate. This is why I am increasingly convinced that the time has come to find a way of thinking about spirituality and ethics beyond religion altogether." He has made other statements similar to that one on his Twitter page. He has also made a few other controversial statements in the recent years. He claims that he might be the last Dalai Lama depending on the Tibetan people and states that he is halfway through his retirement now. The process for Dalai Lamas is long and drawn out in search of a child who fits the bill. The religious leader has served as a religious symbol of Tibet’s fight for justice since the 1950s.

                This could become a social problem because Dalai Lama has made such an impact on society. Since he decided to embrace technology and modern communications, he has gained a lot of support. This will cause a social problem because if he becomes the last Dalai Lama, then it would affect people around the world…either in a positive way or a negative way. There are many people who know what’s going because of all his networking so it is national. Along with this it would be considered a global problem. Like stated earlier, everyone around the world would know, so it would affect everyone globally. It would also be considered a personal issue because Dalai Lama would have to deal with the issues of what’s going on and the reaction to the possibility that he could be the last Dalai Lama. Think about what he has to go through. He is a religious figure known throughout the world and he stated that the world needs to think about spirituality and ethics beyond religion and that within itself could be a problem. 

 http://www.globalpost.com/dispatches/news/regions/asia-pacific/dalai-lama-tells-internet-religion-no-longer-adequate

Blog 11 - Gay Pakistanis, Still in Shadows, Seek Acceptance

Gay Pakistanis, Still in Shadows, Seek Acceptance

In Pakistan, homosexual acts are illegal. The gay scene in Pakistan is very discrete; gay couples exist in Pakistan but are secretive. Homosexuality is viewed as going against religious views. Openly gay people in Pakistan will face discrimination and violence, most commonly from their families. Two women that live in Pakistan have started the gay and lesbian support group. The group, “O”, researches lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues and provides legal advice. O knows that openly gay rights activating is not going to happen in Pakistan for a while, but they have started by sharing and being accepted by their families. O has helped people in difficult family situations and helped with a foreign-operated prostitution ring. O is currently working to overturn a code that influences parents to shun their gay child. Self-definition in Pakistan deals a lot with class; upper and educated class identify as gay if they are, but lower and working class will not identify as gay. The older generation of Pakistan separates gay from identity. There is potential conflict for younger Pakistanis because they are growing up with a more westernized perception of sexual identity. An anonymous gay Pakistan journalist state: ““They’ve got all the access to content coming from a Western space, but they don’t have the outlets for expression that exist over there””.

This article is about a group of Pakistani people who believe in gay rights. This group believes that openly gay people in Pakistan is not going to happen for many years. Homosexual acts in Pakistan are illegal; and gays are usually shunned from their families. The youth in Pakistan have access to beliefs about sexual identity from the United States and are forming a different view on sexuality. American youth have an outlet of expression but Pakistani youth do not. The younger generation of Pakistan is going to have more frustration than the older generations about sexuality; and will express their frustration. The new gay marriage laws in Massachusetts and Maryland will not only affect the United States, but also places like Pakistan where people do not have the same opportunities.

  http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/04/world/asia/gays-in-pakistan-move-cautiously-to-gain-acceptance.html?pagewanted=2&_r=0

Blog 10: Relgious Division

Remembering Biafra

Nigeria has endured many hardships over the years, including: regional and religious division. Nigeria is place for potential, talent, and riches; but it is difficult to get by in Nigeria without being a member of the small and corrupt oil-fed. Nigeria is a place with 250 ethnic groups and more than 500 languages. Nigeria was granted independence in 1960, and seven years later the Ibos declared independence from Nigeria. The newly declared nation called themselves the Republic of Biafra. The Nigerian government did not intervene when thousands of Ibos were massacred, and creating the Republic of Biafra was created to empower the Ibos; but the creation of Biafra caused more conflict and massacres. The Biafran war lasted two years; the federal government blockaded Biafra and thousands of civilians were killed. The leader of the Republic of Biafra, Ojukwu, refused to give up. This conflict was widely spread by the media, and was some of the first footage of starving children in Africa.  The final death toll was between one and three million people.

This article is about Nigeria and how the country had much potential before it became a corrupted nation. When Nigeria gained independence there was talent, education, and potential; Nigeria became corrupted and devastated with war. The Ibos were subject to persecution before the Republic of Biafra, and once Biafra gained independence everything became a mess. The war that occurred killed millions of people. Nigeria had expectations and goals, but became a shattered nation by becoming consumed with war and corruption. As I was reading this article I thought of how easy it is for conflicts like this to keep occurring. Nigeria is not the only country to have regional and religious division. Countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo and North Korea have experience similar situations with controlled government, declaring independence, and blockades. 

 http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/04/books/review/there-was-a-country-by-chinua-achebe.html?pagewanted=all