Tuesday, November 07, 2006

On warriors and what not

This is the sequence of events if you're new to this:
رسومات إباحية في مقرر الأدب الإنكليزي في الجامعة
الفهيد يمنع كتاب الأدب الإنكليزي ويحيل مسؤولين إلى التحقيق
العنزي يدعو الطبطبائي إلى التحقق من كيفية تدريس كتاب في الجامعة يحوي تجاوزات أخلاقية
الفهيد: لا رسوم إباحية في مقرر الإنكليزي
بلقيس النجار: الإرهاب الفكري



What started as a response to individual comments in my previous post began to spread into its own post. So following up on the previous post, I choose to insert my reply here:

Action needs to be taken. But that does not diminish the effect of whining and bitching on this blog. I think whining and bitching can lead to action, or even compliment action.
With that said, I agree with the sentiment that calls for action. What would you like to do about those censors who are blind to culture?
At a time when our faculty, among other faculties, is working towards being internationally accredited, we have these forces of darkness who can and will put a stop to any progressive thought. The censoring of art is only one part of this. There is an even more dangerous censoring of thought. If we are not permitted to think freely and without fear, then the matter of banning a book because of some indecent paintings is just the start. What's next?
Kuwait university is not a shitty institution. I have met quite a few enlightened minds among my students and fellow faculty members. It is true that their voices are usually low, but that is the unfortunate result of this open-mindedness that puts me at a position of accepting the oposing thought even when this opposing thought disagrees with my basic rights. We are not quiet because we are passive. We are quiet because we are not aggressive. Politics demands aggressive action. I am not an aggressive person. And I refuse to be an aggressive person, even realizing that my apparent passivity makes my voice hard to hear. I strongly believe in allowing the other to voice their thoughts. How would I raise my voice when I know that raising my voice would shush other voices?
I know most of you disagree with this. I know that most of you think that passivity is not accepted at this stage. But I cannot change what I believe in just to win a cause, no matter how important that cause is. I might have made that mistake before, and I might make it again in the future. But I refuse to knowingly make it now.

I cannot yell and mute other voices. I cannot scream that my opinion is the only right opinion. I simply cannot do that. I have always thought that was because I didn't have enough strength to do that. But I have lately come to realize that my passivity is part of my nature, a nature that refuses to allow me to enforce my thoughts on anyone.

If you're a warrior, go ahead and grab your sword. I am no warrior.

17 comments:

Alia said...

for all what you think
for all what you do
& for all your believe in

you are a worrior

ValenciaLover said...

i am a warrior but i need a weapon :)

Mohammad Al-Yousifi said...

هممم

كنت بكتب شي بس صراحة أخاف افتحلي باب ما يتسكر مع الاخوة المسلمين , بما انهم الوحيدين المسلمين

Nooni said...

LOL walla this is making no sense to me... are they for reals !!

Are they for reals fighting agaisnt alfheed?!!

If that is porno, then no wonder almost all the male and female relationships in this country are kinky.

I have no weapon and not a worrior, i'm going to meet alfheed monday.

Alia said...

تصحيح: for all you believ in

& one more "for all"

for all what you've been through

:**

A3sab said...

i have to agree with alia you are a worrior, you proved it last summer

Spontaneousnessity said...

kel hatha o you're not a worrior?! don't ever let those closeminded airheads make you think you're not, all kidding aside, to the naked eye you abviously are a worrior.

NewMe said...

interesting blog..
i am certainly going to hang around..
worrier or no worrier,,
you sure have a sword in your hand :)
best wishes..

White Wings said...

hanan
you say: "But I cannot change what I believe in just to win a cause" and is winning your cause a small thing? I think it is the essence of life, to win your cause, that is what we live for
then again, there is middle ground, so you don't have to be aggressive, but you don't have to be very passive either, you can be passively aggressive :)
you are a fighter, this is one thing I know about you, but you fight in your own way..
so if you don't like to carry a sword, maybe you can carry a water gun :)

Hanan said...

alia. you think? so i'm xena?

valencia. would a spatula do? :P

kila ma6goog. خذ راحتك واكتب ما لك شغل فيهم

judy. we have kinky relationships in kuwait? wanasa :P
salmay lee 3ala elfhaid

a3sab. last summer it was just me enjoying meeting you all. it has nothing to do with being a warrior :)

sponta. naked eye? 3aid. no nudity on this blog please :)

newme. glad you like my blog. as for the sword, i have a replica excalibar as a letter opener, would that work?

white wings. water guns involve wet t-shirts. so we're back to the 3aib issue.

Mother Courage said...

that books was my favorite back in school, i still read some of the poems in it in my spare time... 7aram!

NewMe said...

it's not what weapn that matters..
what matters is,, who owns it..
pretty sure it's in good hands :)

Mohammad Al-Yousifi said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Mohammad Al-Yousifi said...

ما له داعي لعدم وجود نقاش موضوعي للطرف الآخر

و أقصد بالطرف الآخر الذي يمنع الكتب لأنها تحتوي على رسومات اباحية

Alia said...

hanan ... nooo
I hate Xena ... you're a much prettier version :*

Hanan said...

brava. if it's any concilation, the book is still there, it's the companion that is now taken out of the shelves.

newme. i sure hope so.

kila ma6goog. you have a point there.

alia. thanks babe :*

The pie fairy said...

I am one of those students :P we should do something about it! I am serious!!!!