A Gay Girl in Damascus and the Arab Spring Conundrum

Nearly four decades of the Assad regime, first the father and then the son (incumbent), have etched memories of economic stagnation and underdevelopment that would be nothing but difficult to obliterate. Given the current situation in the Arabian Gulf and the Maghreb region of North Africa, it is immutable that nothing has brought about more unity in the Arab cultural identity than this critical insurrection against a tyrannical regime that has reigned with an iron fist.

The Arab Spring revolution, also known across the world as the Jasmine Revolution, sprung with an indefatigable resolve to overthrow corrupt and authoritarian regimes, mainly regarding the stagnant social and economic status of the vast majority of Arabs. Realizing that governance with little or no freedom is derogatory to the idea of a democracy, 2011 has been the year of rebellion across the Arabic speaking world.

Enter Amina Abdallah Arraf Al-Omari, an American-Syrian blogger, who claims to be gay, representing the gay and lesbian majority of the country. In epic narratives that brought to light the ignominy of the Syrian LGBT community, as well as her own, A Gay Girl in Damascus garnered widespread attention not only in Syria, but across the world. Her Facebook page already had one and a half thousand fans before it was detected that the blog was a hoax, created by Tom McMaster, an American, who allegedly claims that the identity of the individual was contrived, but the details were veritable. The blog raised serious questions about the treatment of homosexual people in Syria and their maltreatment. Not only this, it emboldened the exasperated citizens to voice their opinion on the Internet.

As if tribulations for the people continue, so do the death tolls rise, and Syria continues to hurtle down to the precipice. The Shabbiha ( Pro-Assad gunmen) , as they are known, have  killed more than two thousand civilians already. They have tightened up security across all borders and have eliminated any chance of escape, save for a couple border openings in Jisr-al-Shugour with Turkey. Most Syrians, left without an egress out of this political hullabaloo, look towards the West to salvage any hope of freedom. However, they aren’t enamoured with the fact that beseeching the West for an intervention would only ruin their democratic propaganda. Orthodox Syrians firmly believe in an old proverb which goes – The ziwan (rye grass) of your own country is better than the wheat of the stranger.

Imploring the West causes more harm than good, not to one but to both the belligerents. For the Western powers, another failed attempt at pacifying tensions, replicating that in Morocco, could be grave to its aspirations of regional alliances. Syria, and the rest of the Arab world, faces far more predicaments than the former. Firstly, sharing borders with Israel would only escalate tensions in a highly volatile region with flaring levels of animosity. Secondly, if the Syrians were to depend on the West, they would face extensive condemnation from countries such as Libya and Yemen that have avoided any confrontation with them. Furthermore, any involvement in Syria’s movement could only exacerbate the oppression of the Assad regime. Also, the West connotes with the idea that the Syrian’s would believe Israel to have an upper hand in all of this.

The question is- Till when will the UN turn a blind eye to these abhorrent wrongdoings in Syria and the Middle East? More importantly, when will the revolutions across the region set the harbinger for democracy and stability?

Food for thought.

An IQ analysis of the fairer sex

Image via Wikipedia

Perhaps the best aphrodisiac to ever fuel the carnal mitochondria present in the DNA of mankind is a concoction of pure seduction and sheer dominance. Be it Catherine Tremell in Basic Instinct , or Irene Adler in the Adventure of Sherlock Holmes, each woman has entrenched oneself in a position of power , so much so that they can be fairly described as the epitome of femme fatale. To able to see beyond the vestiges of human thought, ahead of human intelligence is what higher Intelligence Quotient (IQ) is all about. The ability to hoodwink,  tantalize and outwit the physically dominant sex with just a promising smirk , can rightly be included in an analysis for measuring intelligence.

Long gone is the Dumb Blonde stereotype, and it is safe to speculate that the fairer sex has found their way in almost every pair of trousers with profound ease- Yes, even blondes. However , it isn’t always that the success of womankind is devoid of platonic elements in society. This claim is ordinarily justified in the Indian aspect as well. Every year for most of the decade, girls surpass boys with a higher percentage score in the Board Examinations. If IQ was solely based on literary intelligence, the paucity of women in social influence wouldn’t have been a reality. However , speculation  is just an approximation.

Not every scenario is the same, and the balance of power has seemed to shift in favour of the modern  woman. The music industry , at a glance, has had a paradigm shift from the Beatles to the Michael Jacksons of the yesteryears ,to the Lady Gagas of today. Any indoctrination of the idea that stupidity is inherent in nature, is reinforced by the song lyrics which say – “ You’re on the right track baby, you were Born This Way”( Yes, this one’s for you blondies).The cultural incursion of the neo-feminist, much to the dismay of the disparaged man, has brought out the effeminate side of imbecile males ( See Justin Beiber). To add insult to injury, the Twilight series has tarnished any hope of a Thousand Splendid Suns of wisdom. Such an outbreak of emotional introspection has only been rivalled in recent times by the E. Coli outbreak in European cucumbers. Not to take away credit from a suave, confident woman, the social typecast of an equal womankind is more desired than accepted.

They say, to spread the word , you have to tell a woman. The day isn’t far when  IQ  connotes more than just Intelligence Quotient, instead it is interpreted differently by different sexes. For the woman- I Quote, and for the destitute male- I Quit.

Environment in requirement

Image via Wikipedia

Ever wonder what a drop of petrol, a homeless bird, and a withering forest have in common? They can be saved. The environment around us is an entity on its own, and yet it is intrinsic to our very existence. It takes one to change the world, and indeed one single, yet magnanimous effort can make a difference.

Ecology or the study of environmental science transcends the boundaries of local habitation. It encompasses much more than just an area or a precinct. Ecological research has shown that changes in environment across one region undeniably affect the other.

When one thinks of the environment, few of the following words come to mind – sustainable, recycle, afforestation, animal slaughter, industrial emissions etc. The questions they pose are nothing short of rhetorical. Should we not plant more trees? Should we not consume less meat? Should we not switch to Hybrid cars? Should we not use energy efficient bulbs?

Well, finding an answer to any of these questions appears to be, well basically, a no-brainer, but it appears deludingly disparaging. To elucidate further, a recent survey attacked animal rights activists who condemned the killing of seals and whales in the Arctic and Japan respectively.

This leads us to two questions- Is the killing done for game or for consumer purposes? There is no doubt that these two regions consume the most amounts of seals and whales respectively. If there ever was a reason for global warming that appeared inconclusive prima facie, it has to be the seals and whales conundrum.

Seals the world over are known for their warm bodies that melt the ice surface with time. The continuous growth in population of whales across the world has led to rising sea levels. How? – A very important postulate of Physics comes into play here- Archimedes Principle. Just like an average human tends to displace water when they lay in a bath tub fully brimmed, rising number of whales in the seas does the same.

Is it affecting our environment positively, or negatively? Got to give something, something’s got to give. The justification of human deed comes with individualism. What can one person create, that is both awe inspiring, pluralistic, and durable, for the whole world to implement? Initiatives such as the Earth Hour and Live Eight Concerts across the globe only uphold the promise of a better day, but not guilt free tomorrow. Why can’t every single day be celebrated as Environment Day? Why do we ensure we behave our eco-friendly best only the fifth day of June, and not every single day we live henceforth.

Personal merit notwithstanding, the perils of entertaining a global village has debilitated our ecological progress in the name of advancement. Waste material, that was earlier limited to garbage, is now radioactive; petroleum and forest, that are perishable commodities, are compromised. Is it fair to use paper bags to prevent usage of plastic?

It is the hypocritical nature of Homo sapiens, to first rebuke the mismanagement of a  crumbling environment, and to add insult to injury, be the very perpetrators of the human cul-de-sac. It is abject poverty not in our pockets, but in our minds not to able to cherish the beauty of the environment. Only if our busy life hadn’t let us spin in pirouettes like we are today, the promise of environmental longevity would be etched on the seal of human civilization.