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When Hojatoleslam Kazem Sedighi made his stupid comment that immodestly dressed women cause earthquakes, he of course joined fellow fundamentalist religious preachers such as Pat Robertson who have made similar claims about marginalized groups, women, the poor, third world nations, etc being responsible for natural disasters. In the case of Pat Robertson he went so far as accusing Haitians of having made a “pact with the Devil.”
Sedighi’s comment was no news to Iranian women, nor was it a funny joke. For over three decades the Islamic Republic has used and abused women's bodies and women's socio-economic and political rights in shaping and defining its repressive policies. Iranian women have fought back in various ways, one of which has been to dress “subversively” but as it is evident in the Green Movement, it is not their “beauty” or bodies that they have utilized in fighting against a brutal theocracy but their brains, their creativity, art, writings etc.
We (Negar Mottahedeh and Golbarg Bashi) are saddened that Jen McCreight, a blogger at Blag Hag, and a so-called feminist and thousands of women have responded by committing to show off "some cleavage for ‘Boobquake’ this Monday”. This campaign has aroused the evidently insatiable enthusiasm of the web community, male supporters in particular who can’t wait to see “regular” girls and women, many their direct friends to “showing off their tits”.
Everyday women and young girls are forced to “show off cleavage” and more in order simply to be heard, to be seen, or to advance professionally. The web is already filled with images of naked women; the porn industry thrives online and many young girls are already vulnerable to predatory abuse. Violence against women and girls has a direct correlation to the sexualisation of women and girls. The extent of their sexualisation is evident in the hundreds of replies that pour into the “Boobquake” Facebook page where women write, apologetically: "I don’t have boobs, not fair" or "Hey, I only have a C cup… ” and “what about those of us who no longer have a cleavage? they sag too low.”
World-wide, the sexualisation of women and younger girls, as young as pre-schoolers is a genuine problem and as mothers, feminists, and young women ourselves we believe that it is time to move away from this “bare it all” mentality.
Let’s create a “Brainquake” and show off our resumes, CVs, honors, prizes, accomplishments (photo evidence) because the Hojatoleslam and the Islamic Republic of Iran are afraid of women’s abilities to push for change, to thrive despite gender apartheid (Did you know that over 64% of students studying at universities in Iran are women?) Let’s honor the accomplishments of Iranian women by showing off our abilities, our creativity, our ingenuity, and our smarts on our blogs, on Wikipedia, on Twitter, on Youtube, on Flickr and all over Facebook. Remember to use hashtag #brainquake on Twitter.
If you would like to share you Brainquake activity, we'll be happy to post it on Twitter with the hashtag #brainquake and on the Brainquake Facebook events page. Send it as a tweet to @negarpontifiles or email it to negarpontifiles@gmail.com
Persian translation courtesy of twitter.com/elecgirl:
وقتی حجت الاسلام کاظم صدیقی نظر احمقانه ش درباره اینکه زنان بدحجاب باعث وقوع زمین لرزه میشوند بر زبان آورد، طبیعتا به جرگه مبلغان مذهبی محافظه کاری همچون پت رابرتسون پیوست که ادعاهای مشابهی درباره مسئولیت گروه های به حاشیه رانده شده، زنان، فقرا، کشورهای جهان سوم، و ... در وقوع حوادث طبیعی مطرح کرده اند. در بیان چنین طرز فکری، پت رابرتسون تا بدانجا پیش رفت که مردم هائیتی را در وقوع زلزله در این کشور به "پیمان بستن با شیطان" متهم کرد.
اظهارات صدیقی برای زنان ایرانی خبر جدیدی محسوب نمی شد، حتی خنده دار هم نبود. برای بیش از سه دهه جمهوری اسلامی از جسم زنان استفاده و سوء استفاده کرده است. در واقع، حقوق اجتماعی – اقتصادی و سیاسی زنان شکل گرفته و معرف سیاستهای سرکوب گر این حکومت است. زنان ایرانی به روشهای گوناگون با این سیاستها مبارزه کرده اند، مثلا "تخریبی" لباس می پوشند. اما، همانطور که در تصاویر جنبش سبز هم به چشم میخورد، این "زیبایی" این زنان یا بدن آنها نیست که آنها در مبارزه با یک حکومت دینی سرکوبگر استفاده می کندد، بلکه ذهن، خلاقیت، هنر، و نوشته هایشان است.
من (نگار متحده) و گلبرگ باشی متاسفیم که جین مککرایت (بلاگر سایت Blag Hag) و پاسخ به اصطلاح فمینیستی وی به این موضوع، راه انداختن "کمپین ممه لرزه برای نشان دادن چاک سینه در روز دوشنبه 26 آوریل" بوده است. این کمپین اشتیاق ظاهرا سیری ناپذیر جامعه وب را برانگیخته، به خصوص طرفداران مذکری را که نمیتوانند صبر کنند تا زنان و دختران "معمولی" - که بسیاری از آنها دوستان خودشان هستند، "ممه های خود را نشان دهند".
زنان و دختران جوان همه روزه مجبورند "چاک سینه شان را نشان دهند"، بیشتر به خاطر اینکه دیده شوند، کسی به صحبتهایشان گوش دهد، و برای اینکه از نظر حرفه ای پیشرفت کنند. وب و جامعه مجازی همین الان هم مملو از تصاویر زنان برهنه است؛ صنعت پورن در جامعه آنلاین پیش میرود و بسیاری از دختران جوان همین الان هم در معرض سوءاستفاده و شکار شدن هستند. خشونت بر ضد زنان و دختران آنها را از نظر جنسی تحت تاثیر قرار میدهد (sexualize). این تاثیر در صدها پاسخی که به سوی صفحه ممه لرزه (Boobquake) در فیس بوک سرازیر شد آشکار است. برخی از زنان با لحنی عذرخواهانه نوشته اند: "انصاف نیست، سینه های من کوچک هستند" یا "هی، سایز سینه من فقط C است..." و "پس ماهایی که دیگر چاک سینه نداریم چطور؟ پستانهای ما زیادی آویزان هستند".
در سراسر دنیا، آگاهی و حساسیت جنسی زنان و دختران جوان، حتی کودکان پیش دبستانی مشکلی حقیقی است و خود ما به عنوان مادر، فمینیست، و زنان جوان باور داریم الان وقت این است که ذهنیت "همه ش رو بریز بیرون" رو به کنار بگذاریم.
بیایید یک کمپین "مغز لرزه" راه بیندازیم و رزومه ها،CVها، افتخارات، جوایز، و دستاوردهایمان را (به همراه عکس) نشان بدهیم، چون حجت الاسلام صدیقی و جمهوری اسلامی ایران از توانایی زنان برای تغییر، و از مبارزه با وجود آپارتاید جنسی هراس دارد (راستی، میدانستید 64% دانشجویان شاغل به تحصیل در ایران، خانمها هستند؟) بیایید از دستاوردهای آنان تقدیر کنیم، و تواناییهایمان، خلاقیتمان، ابتکاراتمان، و هوشمندیمان را در وبلاگها، ویکی پدیا، توئیتر، یوتیوب، فلیکر، و سرتاسر فیس بوک به نمایش بگذاریم. یادتان باشد برای تبلیغ این کمپین در توئیتر، از برچسب #brianquake استفاده کنید.
If you would like to share you Brainquake activity, we'll be happy to post it on Twitter with the hashtag #brainquake and on the Brainquake Facebook events page. Send it as a tweet to @negarpontifiles or email it to negarpontifiles@gmail.com See More
News Feed
Golbarg Bashi
Dear all, please refer to the Official Brainquake page here on Facebook which will as of today be the main source for updates on this initiative--please also follow us on:
http://twitter.com/Negarpontifiles
http://negarpontifiles.blogspot.com/
...This event's page (for Monday April 26th 2010) will no longer get updated--
Thank you for your support, constructive criticisms and interest in Brainquake!
Best wishes,
Golbarg Bashi
Golbarg Bashi
Vanessa Mai, our fellow Asian sister shakes the world--we love her however she wishes to dress--her power lies in her music, beautiful smile and confidence!
Golbarg Bashi
"May 1st is the day of international solidarity of the working class and a day for laborers to protest global poverty and inequality. On this day millions of workers around the world stop working, to conquer the streets and show their anger and disgust with the announcement of the numerous disasters that capitalism has inflicted on humanity, and scream for liberation from oppression and exploitation...We want to eradicate all laws that are discriminatory to women and to ensure full equality and the unconditional rights of women and men in all areas of social, economic, political, cultural and family life."
Golbarg Bashi
"Even though young laborers, especially young women, comprise one of the largest and hardest-working segments of international society, it is sad to see that during the first decade of the 21st century, their rights are being severely curtailed, despite their enormous contribution toward the advancement of the world’s community. In the few instances where they are allowed to participate, they are continuously discriminated against."
Golbarg Bashi
Iranian feminist poetess Maryam Hooleh's poetry collection--
Golbarg Bashi
Feminist rapper Shahin Najafi sings for his mother--"maa mard nistim" (we are not [real] men)...
Golbarg Bashi
Our beloved feminist Iranian poet/rapper Shahin Najafi points out women's brain power and women's struggle in one of his earliest songs "Harfe Zan" (woman's cause/words)--Shahin, you make this world a better place!
Negar Mottahedeh
Some reflections on Brainquake and Boobquake and their successes and downfalls as two feminist social media campaigns
Jessica Struzik
I was excited to hear about Brainquake, but I am less excited now that I see it's based loosely around not approving of Boobquake. I don't understand why we can't embrace both?
Golbarg Bashi
French press coveres Brainquake--
Farah Hussain
Cyber bullying is not tolerated on Brainquake/ Brainquake--please refrain from posting verbally abusive comments here--the small minority of those who do will be removed from the page and no matter how many pseudo-identities they assume, they will still be removed and reported to Facebook--
If showing off this stuff is your thing, then that's cool too. Go for it. I just wish you wouldn't try to 'combat' the opposite side of things. People will do what they do, and it'd be nice if you could allow them to do so in peace. Not that it matters- it'll happen anyway.
I'm not sure that I agree with Sedighi or Robertson's statements, but one thing is for sure. Playing the blame game is not the mature way to address any situation. Adam AND Eve did that "the woman you gave me, she gave to me and I did eat", and we must learn at some point that pointing the finger at eachother is the ultimate deception, and resloves nothing. Im certain that we ALL have work to do in some area of our lives and that none of us has lived a life completely free from hurting someone else (intentions aside). May we each deal with our own misconduct(s) first....
Fereshteh Farzaneh
if islam wasn't scary, Islamophobia would cease to exist. I have nothing against celebrating women's achievments but this "guilt" that has been engraved in ALL Iranian women to be ashamed of their body, MUST stop. Being sexualized does not begin and end with bare boobs, it ALSO happens with the guilt ans shame of covering up, and with growing up learning about terms such as :"hejab", "ghayrat", "namoos" , "nejabat"; usually engraved in women living in islamic societies.
Negar Mottahedeh
Women move mountains, but don't cause earthquakes, WE see it happen every day. We witnessed it in women's stories as they told them here for all of us to hear all day yesterday. Now we have the numbers to prove it.
