September 2001

Female Journalist Seized by Taliban
Bet They’ll Go Easy on Her ‘Cause She’s A Chick
Friday, September 28, 2001 British journalist Yvonne Ridley has been arrested in Afghanistan for re-entering the country illegally after foreign journalists were expelled. The Afghan Islamic Press, based in Pakistan, reported that Ms. Ridley was arrested near an Afghan town bordering Pakistan; she was with two guides and was wearing traditional Afghan garb at the time of her arrest. The 43-year-old journalist was reporting from border towns in Pakistan for the British papers the Sunday Express and the Daily Express, and had volunteered to try to enter Afghanistan in order to continue crucial news coverage from inside the country itself. The UK Foreign Office has been quick to try to gain information about her arrest and to help gain her release, but nothing right now is known about her whereabouts or condition. Yvonne Ridley’s bravery and determination should inspire female journalists everywhere to fight for their stories, to be relentless in their pursuit of the truth – and to watch their asses. We pray for her safe return.

As Long As You’re Online…
Check Out HelpAfghanWomen.Com
Thursday, September 27, 2001 As the situation in Afghanistan becomes ever more dire, the UN is trying to amass the kind of humanitarian relief that will be needed to keep millions of refugees from dying of starvation, disease, and exposure. The Feminist Majority Foundation is also trying to make sure that aid and support for Afghanistan’s women and children will be provided; you can join the effort by going to HelpAfghanWomen.Com. Their program is petitioning our government to†"|?d financial support to the refugees, raising awareness and funds for the humanitarian crisis, and directly bringing money to medical centers and schools for refugee Afghan girls in Pakistan. The women of Afghanistan were the first casualties of the Taliban, and continue to be the most at-risk group in the rapidly disintegrating country. If you thought the laws requiring full-body cloaks and male escorts in public were bad, think how much worse it will be when the severe winter weather starts whipping through those cloaks, and there are no male relatives left. No joke.

And In Other News…
Wait, There’s Other News?
Wednesday, September 26, 2001 You bet your bippy there is. Although you might not want to bet your bippy – you might need it later for, uh, other things. Chile Bans Emergency Contraception

Chile’s Supreme Court declared that emergency contraception is actually a form of abortion, which is illegal in that country, even in cases of rape, incest, or dangerteIDthe woman’s life. The rate of illegal abortions in Chile is higher than the rate of legal abortions in the US (number of abortions performed/population). Good job, Chile!

European Union Cracking Down on Human Trafficking

The European Union has made some headway in its fight to stop the trafficking of women for the sex trade into its 15 member nations. An estimated 500,000 women and children are victims of human trafficking in Europe every year. How many johns does it take to warrant a half million new trafficked sex slaves per year? And haven’t these guys ever heard of whacking off?

King of Swaziland To Wed 17-Year-Old Girl

Weeks after the king of Swaziland imposed a counrty-wide ban on sex with teenaged girls, meant to revive the custom of preserving virginity and to help stop the spread of HIV/AIDS, he has broken his own decree by announcing that he will marry a 17-year-old high school student. King of Sleazyland? You decide.

And Finally:
India Will Re-Measure Dicks to Stem Unwanted Pregnancy

Researchers say that condoms in India are slipping and breaking at an alarming rate, leading to unwanted pregnancies, and some blame poorly sized condoms. Actual quote from the article: “The long and short of it is that while all condoms are of the same size, all penises are not.” Now that you can bet your bippy on.

Desperate Times for Afghan Women and Children
And Their Husbands and Dads and Whatnot
Friday, September 21, 2001 Drought, starvation, protracted international wars, civil wars, fanatic regimes, and departing floods of desperate refugees – it looked like it couldn’t get any worse for the people of Afghanistan, but it has: The United Nations has pulled some of its relief resources from Afghanistan as the US prepares for military action in the region, and death from lack of food or shelter is a distinct possibility for hundreds of thousands of people. . While UNICEF (the UN’s Children’s Fund) continues to airlift medical supplies and shelter materials to refugees in neighboring Turkmenistan, and the UNHCR (the UN’s High Commissioner for Refugees) is sending shelter materials to refugees in Pakistan, the UN’s World Food Program stopped wheat imports directly to Afghanistan last week, citing security concerns. The few aid organizations that are left to help, including Oxfam and the International Red Cross, say that they will not be able to meet the level of need, and are pressuring the UN’s World Food Program to resume aid as soon as possible.

So what can we do? Already exhausted and broke from supporting the relief effort at home, it may not be easy for us to think about the massive humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan and surrounding regions, especially when the situation seems hopeless. But as long as doctors, camp planners and other aid workers still in the region have hope, so can we. Did we mention …Oxfam and the International Red Cross?

Indonesia’s Madame President Meets Bush
Megawati Seals Megadeal in Wake of Megadisaster
Wednesday, September 19, 2001 Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri has met with US President Bush to discuss bilateral relations between the two countries and to formally decry the terrorist attacks of last week. Megawati, who only recently took the helm of the impoverished South Asian archipelago, condemned the “very inhumane” terrorist acts, saying, “We share this moment of grief with you,” and pledging her country’s support. The support of Indonesia, the largest predominantly Muslim nation, is by no means unilateral – Megawati’s own VP was candid enough to say last week that the attacks would “cleanse the sins” of the US – but it is crucial to President Bush’s international coalition building, as he seeks to prove to Muslim nations that his campaign is not anti-Islam or anti-Arab. Bush is expected to ask Congress for $130 million for aid to Indonesia in 2002; some of it will go towards economic initiatives, and some will go to Indonesia’s own military initiatives against separatist movements in the provinces of Aceh and Irian Jaya. Now that’s the kind of no-sag support a busy female president needs to feel confident on the world stage!

Pagans! Abortionists! Feminists! Gays!
What Do You Want to Blow Up Next?
Tuesday, September 18, 2001 Far-out fundamentalist Jerry Falwell told his audience on the Christian Broadcast Network last week that the terrorist attacks on the US were the result of the wrath of god at “the pagans, and the abortionists and the feminists, and the gays and the lesbians” – though he somehow neglected to mention the crucial roles of the Hebrews, the Orientals, and the mud peoples in inspiring the deity’s disgust. One-time Presidential hopeful Pat Robertson, who was hosting Falwell on his show, “The 700 Club,” when the comments were made, agreed with Falwell that approximately 6300 innocent people died on Tuesday, Sept. 11, because pro-choice and pro-gay Americans inspired the hatred of a vengeful, punishing Lord, and not because some severely sick people decided to kill them. “I point the finger in their face and say, 'You helped this happen,’” said Falwell. Not to speak for the other four fingers on his hand, but it could very easily be said that religious intolerance and extremism of this sort is what led to the man-made devastation of 9/11. Operation Save America, the militant anti-choice group formerly known as Operation Rescue, also blamed the terrorist bombings on god’s wrath – and after all the clinic bombings and bomb threats they’ve helped inspire, we can assume they have some authority on the subject of the causes of terrorism.

We TOLD You Those Taliban Guys Were Assholes
But, Like the Miss America Pageant, We Will Go On
Friday, September 14, 2001 Hi! Welcome back to your regularly scheduled Broadcast, featuring umpteen times the usual amount of contempt for the Taliban and fundamentalist hardliners around the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia. We used to worry that maybe it was our privileged American viewpoint that made us so virulently opposed to “traditional” cultural practices like, say, gender apartheid, but now we’re willing to venture that these regimes are just objectively, overridingly fucked up beyond all hope. Let’s look back at some of the highlights of the Taliban regime’s actions over the past few years:

* barred women and girls from working or going to school; punishments include beating, whipping, stoning or arrest
* forced women and girls to wear full body cloaks in public, where they can not venture without a male relative
* drastically limited women’s health care by barring male doctors from seeing female patients
* arrested international aid workers for having Bibles; may sentence internal aid workers to death
* interrupted and obstructed humanitarian aid by barring women from distributing bread
* asked all Hindus in the country to wear a yellow badge in public
* caused hundreds of thousands of refugees to flee the country into Pakistan, where they are dying in droves

And some other examples of religious extremist law in effect in the past year:

* Iran: woman stoned to death for producing sexually explicit material
* Pakistan, India: women sprayed with corrosive acid for appearing in public with improper dress; women and men now asked to ride separate buses
* Nigeria: young girl publicly whipped for having been coerced or forced into sex with father’s friends

The Taliban has been under international pressure from the UN since January to extradite Osama bin Laden, the presumed perpetrator behind the terror attack on the World Trade Center – their failure to do so has caused them to be internationally isolated, recognized only by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. Pakistan, the only one of these countries to border Afghanistan on land, has agreed to cooperate with the Western effort to find and arrest bin Laden; it is yet to be seen whether or not this extends to allowing fly-overs and ground troops to the US/NATO forces in the war that’s almost certainly being planned. Whether you ultimately decide to support military action against Afghanistan (or Iraq, or whomever), or you don’t, we hope you’ll agree that the idea of “holy war” – so popular with the terrorist killers – is the biggest oxymoron on earth.

What Can We Do Now?
Humble Suggestions for Getting Through Today
Thursday, September 13, 2001 If you’re in NYC, there’s plenty you can do right now. If you’re not in New York, send cash. 1. If you’re in New York, there are many things you can do. Donations of eye goggles, work gloves, bottled water and sport drinks, socks, sweat clothes, eye wash, pain relievers, and other supplies for the emergency workers are being taken at the South Side of Union Sq. on 14th St. Mental health professionals and social workers are volunteering at Chelsea Piers to work with families of the missing, and any others with medical training are being asked to volunteer at area hospitals. There’s a general volunteer assignment station at the Javitz Center for interested people with no specific emergency skills. And there’s a big group of volunteers at the West Side Highway at Clarkson St., making sandwiches, holding signs, and cheering the emergency vehicles that pass to express their love and gratitude to those who are doing their best right now to save lives and mitigate suffering.

2. If you’re not in New York, send cash. The Red Cross is doing amazing work right at the scene; they were here almost immediately on Tuesday, and they are already TAXED. They have many, many days of non-stop work ahead. If you’ve been able to send money already, take heart in knowing that your contribution is directly aiding the people of New York and the rescue effort. Donating cash here is not a vague gesture – it’s a solid vote for the recovery of the city.

3. Make it better. Don’t freak out. We’re all freaking out, so the more you can keep it together, the more you can help everyone else keep it together – especially those who are most impressionable among us. Here in NYC, we’re persevering. We’re planning on being here for a long damn time. As ugly as the carnage is, people are acting beautifully. Tragedy can bring out the best in people, or the worst. Try to make it your best.

4. TURN OFF THE TV. The flow of new information has slowed somewhat. You can abandon the vigil for at least an hour or two. Do something physical, menial, artistic, crafty. Take a bath. Go plant something. Call some people and talk to them without watching TV in the background. But if you have to monitor the news, try to get some international news, if you can.

5. Write to your elected official. Let them know what you want to see happen from here. Tell them that you’re praying for peace, or that you’re ready to sign up for the bomb-dropping brigade. Whatever your opinion is, express it to your congresspeople and senators. And when you’re done, go shopping. Consume something. See a stupid movie, buy the poster and the t-shirt and the action figure, and help make sure the world becomes an everyday place again as soon as it can. Participate in the great free market – emphasis on the “free” – today, it’s the patriotic thing to do!

We Love You and We’re Glad You’re Okay
A Quick Prayer from Ground Zero
Wednesday, September 12, 2001 Okay, Higher Power, we’re trying to see your plan here. It’s an awesome challenge right now – especially for those of us who have directly suffered the terrible pain of this event – to understand that people are good, and that only love and empathy can prevail. But this is what we know to be true. Help us to stay hopeful, to stay sane, to stay loving and proud. Give us the strength to be bigger than the events of any given day, no matter how horrifying that day may be. Give us another day, a better day, so that we can know that life is more than just the pain, suffering and death we’ve seen in such abundance. Don’t let us despair too long. Let us give thanks for life, let us call everyone we know, and please, Higher Power, let them be okay, so that we can tell them we love them. Thanks. Love, Us.

"Lady Macbeth" Milosevic Lauds Husband
"He Always Helped With the Ethnic Cleansing"
Thursday, September 6, 2001 Mira Markovic, the wife of former Yugoslavian leader Slobodan Milosovic, told the BBC this week that it was Western policy, not her husband, that was responsible for the genocidal wars in the Balkans in the 1990s. Milosovic is currently awaiting trial at a war crimes tribunal at the Hague on charges of genocide, establishing concentration camps, and other crimes against humanity; some of his generals have been convicted of crimes like mass rape and torture, and have received decades of imprisonment from the courts. While some question the validity of a world court that has yet to hold the US responsible for war crimes including rape and torture in Vietnam and elsewhere, others are happy to see the prosecutions start somewhere (precedents, don't you know). Mira Markovic, meanwhile, keeps on insisting that it wasn't Slobby's fault - "He's only genocidal when he's been drinking, and those Kosovars shouldn't have been pushing him like that! He sent the most beautiful flowers the next day ... of course, they had to be piled on the mass graves, but the thought was there!"

The Exorcism of Mother Theresa:
You Think It Would Work for Anne Heche?
Wednesday, September 5, 2001 Mother Theresa, the deceased humanitarian nun who’s currently on the fast track to sainthood in the Catholic church, underwent an exorcism not long before her death in 1997; the Archbishop of Kalkota revealed the story this week, on the fourth anniversary of her death. The exorcism ritual, meant to cast out the presence of the devil from otherwise well-meaning and totally kosher citizens, is not as ooky-spooky as people often imagine – it involves a lot of praying, some holy water sprinkling, and a couple signs of the cross, but rarely much projectile vomiting or defaming of mothers. Mama T, whose work on behalf of the poor and sick made her an example of beatific selflessness, was (despite her virulently anti-choice politics) a feminist heroine to many, including Miss World 2000, who cited her during that pageant as “the most important woman alive today.” Yyeah – not unless that exorcism seriously backfired.

N. Indian Militants Force Sex Segregation
Kashmir: Nothing Soft and Fluffy About It
Tuesday, September 4, 2001 A violent, radical religious group that’s recently emerged in the Kashmir province of northern India is now demanding that women and men sit apart on public buses. . The group, Lashkar-e-Jabar, was virtually unknown until last month, when they attacked two women with corrosive acid for failing to conform to strict dress codes; they then declared a deadline by which women had to adopt the veil or face violent punishment. Sales of material for veils and cloaks rose sharply in the past few weeks, as women, under pressure from their own religious leaders to conform to the edicts, rushed to get undercover. With gender apartheid spreading by force across the region, nothing seems quite so oppressive right now as a Kashmir sweater.