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 فادي زغموت 
Hey, I may have to go get this one.PULP is owned by a different group (Grumpy Gourmet) than VIVA (Al Farideh). It was VIVA’s owners that pulled the issue, not the gov., so it was more self-censorship.About Lilith, it isn’t in the Bible because it is mythology. There were no ancient texts that support nor mention it. I know some people say all holy books are myths, but there are some pretty stringent rules about what is in and not.Eve was a pretty empowered woman, I’d say.
LikeLike
Sho fadi, teezak bit7okkak? You want to get “featured” on pulp so you’re polishing your butt for them?
LikeLike
I don’t Eve was oppressed in anyway! Female oppression symbols have not been invented at her time (yet). She was, pretty much, half the world! And for the most part, it’s usually her will, or her ideas that were enforced (hence the notion that the serpent approached her, and she kinda pushed Adam into doing whatever she wanted)How is eve a symbol of oppression then!? -just wondering-
LikeLike
well, this is the first time to hear about Lilith..I wonder if I am going to find anything about her on wikipedia..well, I don’t really know what to believe any more..Thumbs up for your blogs, reading your blogs has become a part of my daily life.
LikeLike
Although I’m one of the people Kinzi mentioned, I agree with Qwaider in that Eve did not strike me as opressed at all.
LikeLike
kinzi, I guess that yes you have to get this issue :).I didn’t know that VIVA got self-censorship. I have always thought it is by the government. Thank you so much for clarifying this. You are right Lilith is not mentioned in the bible because there is certain criteria for adding stories. I just think that it is interesting reading about her as a Jew legend. For me, it doesnt matter if it is in the bible or not. It is all an ancient text that is triggered for a purpose. As for Eve, and this is to answer Qwiader and Hani as well, the article of Pulp explains the notion of the inferiority of Eve, having Adam being created before her, and she is coming after him and from his rip. They claim it is the base of Gender inequality. anonymous, I swear that I loved the issue. I really loved it 🙂Qwaider, I think the patriarch system has started with the emerging of Adam/Eve story. Adam was created first. I will write more about Lilith story in another post.Kal, Lilith has a long page on wicki. I ll summarize her story in another post. Thank you. It is good to hear that you like my posts. You are welcome to comment whenever you like 🙂Hani, as I said, it is the whole idea of having Adam first 🙂
LikeLike
The whole idea behind the rib is simple. They were created from a single soul. To indicate the importance of compatibility. The body will reject a foreign object, but not if it was created from the same body.If anything it indicates that Adam and Eve are the same creation. Made of the very same thing. To indicate the value of compassionThere’s no priority in creation. Adam before, or Eve before. It doesn’t make any difference.
LikeLike
ok i guess the next claim am going to read here is that religion is not patriarchal …… sheesh …
LikeLike
Qwaider, for some people, priority in creation does matter. As for the rib, it is a part of the body, which is physical and has no indication at all being of the same soul. Adam and Eve have two different souls. It might be an indication of being of the same body, but not soul. No_angel, lol 🙂
LikeLike
They’re two separate souls that is true, but the whole argument is about how interlocked, and intertwined they are, made FROM the same soulAnyway, it’s all cool!
LikeLike
Do you like playing in the game which you need to use < HREF="http://www.vi4s.com/product/MapleStory_-_Singapore__Mesos.html" REL="nofollow">maple mesos<>, when you do not have < HREF="http://www.vi4s.com/product/MapleStory_-_Singapore__Mesos.html" REL="nofollow">mesos<>, you must borrow < HREF="http://www.vi4s.com/product/MapleStory_-_Singapore__Mesos.html" REL="nofollow">cheap mesos<> from friends, or you buy < HREF="http://www.vi4s.com/product/MapleStory_-_Singapore__Mesos.html" REL="nofollow">maplestory mesos<>. If you get < HREF="http://www.vi4s.com/product/MapleStory_-_Singapore__Mesos.html" REL="nofollow">maple story mesos<>, you can continue this game.
LikeLike
I'm glad you liked my article about the taxi driver. I just found this blog post online now, and it's almost two years later. Still, I like that someone read it. Just so you know, they never found the driver. I wish they had. Either way, I'm back in America now, but I still have quite a love for Jordan, despite that experience. There are crazy people everywhere…
LikeLike