Comparing Greg Mortenson´s Views On Women's Rights And Education

I am going to look at the Feminist point of view on Education and also, the Functionalist point of view on Education.

“Life is full of unhappiness and most of it caused by women (Harik and Marston 11)”. For women in the Middle East life is faced with great and unequal odds, as their human rights are limited, due to Islamic beliefs and that of patriarchy. From their daily actions at home to their physical appearance, Middle Eastern women are portrayed as quiet, faceless women veiled from head to toe. While this image is just another stereotype, women in the middle do face many obstacles and challenges of creating their own identity as they are frequently denied a voice in their rights. Living in a society dominated by men life is not, but regardless women in the Middle East, predominantly Muslims, continue to fight for

Mortenson also shows the underdevelopment of the Muslims through the women of Pakistan. The women in the book are depicted as helpless and shameful. For example, when Greg was “captured’ by the violent “Taliban” he pleaded for release from the savage men by lying about his wife giving birth to a son soon (Mortenson, 170). Mortenson essentializes the Muslim men as underdeveloped and violent by portraying that they value males over females, believing they would only let him go because he was having a son. The worst part about this example from Mortenson was that it was a myth, according to John Krakauer’s critique “Three Cups of Deceit.” Greg staged the Another instance of Mortenson’s essentialism was when Mortenson nursed Rhokia back to health. The women and baby were shown as weak and no one but Greg, of course, was able to help them. Mortenson shows the primitive nature of the people by describing their helplessness. Mortenson said, “For a Balti to let a foreign man, an infidel, have that kind of intimate contact with your wife took an incredible leap of faith”(Mortenson, 179). He once again mentions the underdevelopment and male dominance by asking Rhokia’s husband if it was okay to remove her placenta, instead of directly asking her. Mortenson essentializes the women of Pakistan and portrays them as if they are inferior to men according to

These females are more likely to support male relatives, educate the young in al Qaeda’s ideology, providing support for operations and assisting with finances. However, the female’s role changes when the female assumes the role of the male in suicide bombings, resulting in the supporting role becoming less effective. (White, 2012) Women who support al Qaeda are better educated than the males, and their interests tend more to the traditional roles rather than taking on an operative position. (White, 2012) As Bin Laden stated in his 1996 declaration of war, al Qaeda women were to motivate sons, brothers and husband in the encouragement of jihad. Furthermore, Bin Laden described women as victims of Western imperialism. (White,

Among the different narratives used to justify military intervention by the Bush administration one of the most prominent was the narrative of women being oppressed by men (Deylami, 2013 :180). The vision of women as victims of the Taliban regimes was indeed used to point out to the necessity for an American intervention in Afghanistan. In his speeches and addresses to the nation, George W. Bush made constant references to Muslim women, insisting particularly on them being “not allowed to attend school” (September 20, 2001), “executed in Kabul’s soccer stadium” and “beaten for wearing socks that are too thin” (November 10, 2001) as well as “prisoners in their homes” (September 11, 2006). Similarly, his wife, Laura Bush, on a speech to the nation on November 17, 2001, where she used twenty times the word ‘women’ also put a strong emphasis on the situation of Muslim women in Afghanistan. Throughout that speech, she for example stated that Afghan women “have been denied access to doctors when they are sick”, “cannot work outside the home” or “leave when they are homes by themselves” (Bush L., 2001). She further argued that “the brutal oppression of women is a central goal to the terrorists” (ibid).

One result of the Islamic Revolution of 1979 was that women were forced by law to wear the compulsory hijab. At first, not many people took this seriously and many peaceful protests were organized. Eventually, women began to suffer at the hands of the government for refusing to submit. In this novel, Marjane is an Iranian girl living during the turmoil of the Islamic Revolution and eventually the Iran-Iraq War. She is invested in the politics of her world even from a very young age, though her views are a little skewed due to lack of direct experience. As she grows, however, her loyalty to her religion and her country warps and fades as she comes face-to-face with the reality of the world rather than her simplified and romanticized

The women of Saudi Arabia have been oppressed by the men of the country for generations due to the ignorance of the people, their Islamic faith, and the government. They have no rights and they must receive permission from their husbands or fathers to work, travel, and receive medical attention. The memoir Princess: A True Story of Life Behind the Veil in Saudi Arabia by Jean Sasson, is an excellent example of the oppression of women in Saudi Arabia and the literary devices of characterization and setting help to bring the oppression to life.

Botshon, Lisa and Melinda Plastas. "Homeland In/Security: A Discussion and Workshop on Teaching Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis." Feminist Teacher, vol. 20, no. 1, Oct. 2009, pp. 1-14. EBSCOhost, ezproxy.gsu.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=fyh&AN=48132639&site=ehost-live&scope=site.This article “Homeland In/Security: A Discussion and Workshop on Teaching Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis “ wrote by Botshon presented the significant of teaching Persepolis in the U.S. after the 9/11 terrorist event. Moreover, it is stated that one of the considerable difficulties of educating in the post– 9/11 United States is battling with balanced simplifications and deception about Islam, "Middle Easterners," "Middle Easterner Americans,"

Imagine if you were not allowed to receive an education. Imagine if you could not leave the house, or go outside, even if you were an adult. What if you lost all of your freedoms? This is the case for women in many countries in the Middle East. Most women and girls in the Middle East are not allowed to receive an education, or to travel freely. They are deprived of basic human rights, including free travel and education. Women’s rights in the Middle east is a very troubling issue. First, everyone should have the right to receive an education. Also, everyone should be allowed to travel freely, and not be restricted by law.

All the publicity terrorism receives from the world, the news channels, and the world leaders, women’s contribution in terrorist acts has gone extensively disregarded. This isn’t a surprise considering how women are generally viewed in the world. Stereotypically women are viewed as weak, feeble, childbearing machines and never capable of being as good as a man. So to even consider a woman being a terrorist is almost unbelievable. Key word “almost. As Jean Bethke Elshtain transcribed in her book that, “Certainly when most of us think ‘terrorists’ we do not see ‘woman.’ The perpetrators, or the alleged perpetrators, who have flashed across our television screens in recent years are pretty much a youthful male lot.”

Badran, M. (1995) Feminists, Islam and Nation, Gender and the Making of Modern Egypt, Princeton, Princeton University Press

Education of the Muslim religion and the female gender should be enforced by the government to increase tolerance and understanding of Muslim women who are harassed and discriminated against due to their religious beliefs and their gender. While gender equality has greatly evolved with the turn of the century, there are still women worldwide, especially women of color, who are being mistreated solely because of their gender. Ever since the crisis of 9/11, Muslim people have been judged and harassed; they are being seen as nothing but a stereotype to many people, and this blind hatred must end. Through education, respect and tolerance for Muslim women can be achieved with hard work, an open mind, and initiative.

American writer James Baldwin explained that education was “designed to perpetuate the aims of society…to create in a person the ability to look at the world for himself, to make his own decision…To ask questions of the universe…is the way he achieves his own identity” (Baldwin 326). Education allows young men and women to gain skills, knowledge, and confidence needed to benefit the society. The idea that a girl might have a happier and more successful life should be enough to advocate for girl’s education yet in many countries, specifically Saudi Arabia, their education system is gender bias. The Global Gender Gap assesses equality between men and women in several countries and Saudi Arabia was ranked 131 out of 135 (Buchanan). Education is highly valued in Islam, and Islamic law actually acknowledges the sacred duty of girls’ education. The contrast between traditional Muslim education and current restrictions on women’s education in Saudi Arabia illustrates how the importance of education in Islam is not fulfilled in all predominantly Muslim countries.

In 1973, the first class with women graduated; there were a dozen women. On the day of graduation, the women found out that their names were left off the programs. As a result, “they set up such a hue and cry that a special ceremony was arranged. Two thousand women arrived to

As I delved into Mortenson’s personal saga in Three Cups of Tea, my understanding of both this region of the world and Islam increased. Several themes in these chapters caught my attention. The themes I was most interested in were the position of women, the importance of education in this region, and the true meaning of Islam. Three Cups of Tea showed me the true roots of Islam and the cultural practices associated with this area. This book made me withdraw my prejudices and form a new opinion about the inhabitants of this region.