After Pulp Magazine’s January excellent Internet issue where they interviewed people behind Toot along with Roba (AndFarAway) and Naseem (The Black Iris), they deliver another excellent issue this month with the focus on Gender issues.
It is February, the month of Valentine, and while most of the other magazines concentrated on dating and love tips, Pulp decided to drop all the red aside, and face courageously some of the many issues regarding Gender in the Jordanian society.
Starting with a heart wrenching article titled ‘Dishonored’ for an American woman coming to Amman for studying Arabic language, and describing her experience with a taxi driver whom kidnapped and sexually assaulted her in a deserted place just outside of Amman. This article should be read by every Jordanian woman. Sexual repressed predators are out there in our streets, and you ladies ought to be careful and learn how to defend yourselves. The article didn’t mention if the police managed to catch the assulter. I wish they do and give him what he deserves.
Another good written article was based on Jordanian honor killings. A subject that have gathered a lot of public and media atthention in the past couple of years and where a lot of people are fighting against it. Still, honor crimes are happening in Jordan. The writer claims that Jordanian’s are now associated more with honor crimes in the global community rather than with Petra for instance. That should give us an indication of how bad the situation is.
Then there is another good article about gay muslims. Obviously muslims around the world who are becoming more and more aware of their homosexual identity are trying to find a common ground between their own sexuality and belief. For a lot, it is an impossible equation, but for others who refuse to let go of either identity, their only hope lies in re-interpreting the Quran in a better gay friendly way. Some people are working on it. Let’s wait and see their result.
I am just a bit surprised of how Pulp managed to pass cencorship on sexual issues regarding homosexuals, because as far as I remember last time when VIVA Magazine tried to address homosexuality, it got pulled and re-issued after cutting that piece.
The last excellend article that caught my attention is the one based on Adam and Eve’s story, trying to interpret the Jews, Christian and Islamic aspect of the story and its base as a mean for Gender inequality. What I found interested the most is what I have heard for the first time of having another woman before Eve! According to Pulp, and based on a Jews legend, Adam had another woman named Lilith. Lilith was a more equal female figure to Adam than Eve. I am not sure what happened exactly, but Lilith refused to abide by Adam’s rules and ended up leaving him. After sometime, and feeling lonely in Eden, Adam begged God to bring him another woman, and so God created Eve for him. Lilith ended up demonized and then forgotten!
I really wonder why this chunck of the story is ignored? Why isn’t it mentioned in the bible? and what is the real story of Lilith?
How in the hell males managed to kill the female equality symbol and managed to brainwash their females of being a second class citizen for ages?
I guess that Lilith didn’t die yet. She is alive as ever, and is coming back to haunt you Adam.
Fadi Zaghmout 
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