Kick-Ass Woman of the Week

Jennifer Livingston – More than a Number on a Scale

Inspiring stories are easy to come by here in the US. Morning news programs are widely popular and are watched in most households every morning. These cover everything from global news to sports events and more, but almost always have one story that sets itself apart from other news stories by putting a smile on your face because of how uplifting it is.  This morning’s story did just that, and I thought I could hit two birds with one stone: I have the perfect candidate for my kick-ass woman of the week, and I can share a story with my followers in the Arab World who may not hear about this story.

Jennifer Livingston is a morning anchor based in Wisconsin. Like most of those in her field, Jennifer loves communicating with her audience and hearing their feedback, but when a male viewer e-mailed her a letter basically scolding her for being overweight, the mother of three had to take action and speak up in response to her viewer.
The most provocative part of the e-mail Jennifer received read:
“I was surprised indeed to witness that your physical condition hasn’t improved for many years. Surely you don’t consider yourself a suitable example for this community’s young people, girls in particular.”

After reading the content of the e-mail on-air, Jennifer, the mother of three girls, responded. She turned a direct personal attack against her appearance into a community and nation-wide message. Livingston acknowledged being overweight, and told her male viewer that this is obviously something that she knows. She then went on to remind her viewers that October is National Anti-Bullying Month and that words like the one she received via this one e-mail are received by children every day, and affect them more than they would her. More than ever it is important to remind our children and ourselves that kindness matters more than criticism, and that we are better than the bullies.

Jennifer is just one example of the many children and adults around the world who consistently stand against the dire effects of bullying. The saying “sticks and stones can break my bones, but words can never hurt,” is now obsolete. Words filled with discrimination or hatred of any kind can have far-reaching effects, and what seem to be small responses, like Jennifer’s to this e-mail, or Mona Eltahawy’s to the racist anti-Muslim ads in New York City, can also have far-reaching positive effects that mobilize people for great causes.

Thank you Jennifer for reminding us all that it is National Anti-Bullying Month. Here’s hoping that we can turn that into an international awareness month that applies to schools, communities, cities, and countries.

Here’s Jennifer’s response. May it inspire you and others this  month.

Read Mona Eltahawy’s story on Mondoweiss here.

Until next time…

A Worrying Sign

Mother Nature has made this Eid wonderful. The weather here in the city has been amazing, and I have finally began to grasp the concept of using degrees Fahrenheit over Celsius. At first, any time I looked up the weather forecast and saw the number 85 I’d freak out. That has thankfully become a rare event now 🙂

Spending Eid in the US was extremely special, and, without sounding too cheesy, symbolized some of the true values of America. My friends and I feasted on authentic Italian food as we discussed our plans for the Fall. My effect on my friends also shone through as the conversation soon took a turn to discuss some recent social and political events, these included the fatal attack on the Sikh temple in Wisconsin, and how various religious institutions came together to mourn those who were killed. I was touched by the reactions that I saw on the news. It is these qualities of pluralism and tolerance that are rooted in both American and Muslim ethics.

Eid is all about reaffirming those ideas, and symbolizes a fresh start. We all toasted to that as we ended our dinner. By the time I got home it was around midnight. I decided to call my mom (an early bird) and see how Eid festivities were in Amman. She said that even though that it was great seeing almost every single aunt, uncle, and cousin, most conversations focused on an unsettling story out of Jerusalem. The story gave me chills.

Last Thursday night, during one of the final nights of Ramadan, a group of around 20 Jewish teenagers attacked four Palestinians between the ages of 14 and 17 as they were walking around an area called Zion Square.  Nine Jewish teenagers have been arrested so far, and according to reports, Israeli police believe that one of the Israeli teenage girls incited the group to attack the Palestinian youth after claiming to have had a relationship with an Arab. One of the Palestinian teenagers, Jamal Julani, was badly beat up and lost consciousness at the scene. Paramedics were miraculously able to revive him and he is now recovering.

One of paramedics recounted what she saw at the scene on her Facebook page. The Israeli +972 magazine translated what she wrote:
“It’s late at night, and I can’t sleep. My eyes are full of tears for a good few hours now and my stomach is turning inside out with the question of the loss of humanity, the image of God in mankind, a loss that I am not willing to accept. But today I saw a lynch with my own eyes, in Zion Square, the center of the city of Jerusalem… Those who were kicking [Jamal] fled and the rest gathered in a circle around, with some still shouting with hate in their eyes.”

In court, the primary suspect in the beating of Jamal admitted to his actions with no signs of regret or remorse, stating that if he had the chance he’d do it again because Jamal was an Arab.

The event should be a wake-up call to all of those still hoping and wishing for a peaceful end to the ongoing Palestinian-Israeli conflict. With such deeply embedded hatred that is so easily unleashed, true progress on this issue cannot be achieved. Palestinian and Jewish youth are physically segregated from each other. Fear, racism, and prejudice are outcomes of this segregation. Without a united educational front that is pushed for by both parties, it will be impossible for Israeli and Palestinian youth to overcome the stereotypes they are taught about one another.

Peaceful interaction is key, and if the future lies in the hand of youth like those responsible for the attack, there are a lot of things to fix and a limited time to do so.

Thank You NY Traffic

#SFMF guys!

I hope you’re all still committed to spreading the word about the best new acronym 😉

I had my first taste of really awful New York City traffic yesterday. It’s even worse than it is showed to be in movies, and definitely worse than Thursday 5pm traffic around duwwar il sabe3 (seventh circle in Amman). Believe it or not, though, I am now thankful for this traffic. After begging my cab driver to turn on the radio to drown out the honking and yelling around me, I discovered one of the few rap songs that I can actually listen to.

The artist behind this masterpiece was none other than Lupe Fiasco. I had first heard about Lupe during the whole Qur’an burning ordeal, which thankfully is in the past now. As a Muslim himself, he commented on the issue very wisely, tweeting “True destruction of the Qur’an cannot be done with fire.. It is destroyed when we fail to remember and practice its lessons in our daily lives.” The perfect response.

Anyway, the song that the cab driver blasted is called “Words I Never Said.” Lupe’s lyrics are amazing, filled with important positive messages, calling for peace, and bringing to the attention of his listeners several issues. Two immediately caught my attention. The first was his regret over a lack of a US response to the unjust and unlawful bombing of Gaza in 2009. The second was his support for a true Islam that condemns murder and terrorism. I think that’s the best part of the song. He raps:

“Jihad is not a holy war, where’s that in worship?
Murdering is not Islam, and you are not observant
And you are not a Muslim,
Israel don’t take my side
Cause look how far you pushed them”

It was just refreshing to hear such a different rap song that’s distinct from those by mainstream artists. Highly recommended, even for those who are not a fan of the hip-hop genre!

May the song help make your commutes and traffic-filled drives more enjoyable 🙂