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OpEdNews Op Eds    H3'ed 12/17/16

Female Apartheid Lives

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"So, you can understand that my teen years were full of mixed messages. I wanted to be an American girl, but, despite my mother's frustrations with her restrictive culture, my parents wouldn't let me do what the other teens did. I couldn't go to parties, even if chaperoned, socialize with boys or date, wear revealing clothing, or, God forbid, have sex. 'Your father will slaughter you,'" she said in a Greek accent.

I raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, but I was 21. All the way through college, while my classmates were enjoying 60's revelry."

"You're still here." Adding quickly, "I'm glad to see."

She chuckled. "Me, too. No, I wasn't slaughtered. But, my father didn't talk to me for a year. Then, he softened and paid for my wedding--to my first husband." She smiled. "We actually have a great relationship now. After living in the US for over 60 years, he's become pretty 'hip', and was even looking forward to a female President." A sigh. "But, it took my getting engaged to be able to find the strength to get my own place--and the support and encouragement of not only my American friends, but American society, which promoted the adoption of American customs, such as living together before the vows. If we had been living in Anatolia, though, things may have been different."

"Well, thank God we're in the US of A. You should be happy, right?"

"Not after reading this story."

"Yeah, I can see the resemblances. But you survived the immigrant meme."

"I survived because my adopted country allowed me to, by promoting feminism, equality for men and women, freedom for adults and young adults, and, frankly, secular humanism that promotes individuality and intelligent critical thinking, rather than obeisance to ancient dogma and patriarchal traditions. What's upsetting me is that now 'the meme' has changed in the US--for this young girl and for all immigrants and their families. Now, American culture is being propagandized to accept and adapt to female apartheid, abuse, and discrimination in the name of cultural sensitivity. This girl's mother comes from a conservative Syrian village where women don't drive and ask their husbands' permission to go out--here, read it. That is not a cultural difference, that's female oppression and slavery."

"Okay, okay, calm down. I understand how you feel."

"Do you? Would we tolerate such 'customs' and behavior if it was a certain color rather than a certain gender that faced these restrictions?"

"Of course not. And my guess is that this Syrian-Canadian child will end up more Canadian than Syrian with time, here in North America. And that her family will evolve like yours did, too. Like next generation immigrants do."

She didn't look convinced. "You may be right. But, only if freedom and equality for men and women continue to be promoted and expected as American values--and if assimilation remains the norm. If not, I have a burqa I can sell you cheap

Burqa
Burqa
(Image by exit1979)
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Jill Jackson is a practitioner of kindness and common sense. Unlike her cat, she prefers to think out of the box.

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