Saturday, January 30, 2010

Being a Women in Yemen

Being a woman in the Middle East is no cup of tea. I admire women here for many reasons. If you've ever seen a Middle Eastern toilet, you too would have instant admiration. Women in Yemen are strong, enduring and sacrifice most of themselves for the sake of their families. They are also seen as second class citizens and treated as such.
Shortly after arriving in Yemen, where the grand majority of native women are veiled, I was disturbed to realize that when women would pass me in the streets, I would only make eye contact and smile at the few without the veil. It was completely unintentional and even though many veiled women still reveal their eyes, I simply didn't see them. Since then, I've made an effort to acknowledge all women, veil or no veil, and to remember that there is a person under all the cover. Still, I have to wonder how it must feel and what the long term effects may be for women, at least while in public, to have a total lack of identity.
To say women aren't seen here isn't completely true. Those fully covered and veiled still get cat calls from men, however, there's no comparison between the harassment native women contend with to that of western women when it comes to male attention in the streets.
The attention from men that I've received in any Arab country has always been frequent and made me uncomfortable and agitated, but the magnitude of that attention has been most significant in Yemen. However, only recently has this phenomenon begun to affect my mood and the way I perceive men here.
Let me expand to give you a better understanding of what I experience every day when I walk outside.
First, you have the stares which is aidi (normal), these come from everyone, men, women and children and aren't so much a big deal. Especially with women and children, I know the looks come from a more genuine curiosity and interest, at least most of the time, and while the stares from men may also originate from the same place, 90% of the time accompanied with it is the hope of some kind of sexual exploit. It would be wrong to say that all the men here are like that as I have met some wonderful men who have gone out of their way for me without expecting anything in return and I have acquired some very trustworthy male Yemeni friends. However, when 90% of the male community that I encounter when walking outside acts in the opposite manner, its difficult not to become resentful.
With the looks come vocalizations, "I love you," "hello hello hello," "how are you?" Understand that no one here speaks English so men will say whatever they know multiple times while trying to approach you in hopes of getting your attention so that you will interact with them. I've had cars intentionally cut me off, motorbikes circle me, traffic will literally stop when I pass by and if I'm riding in a taxi, men will stop their cars next to me and try to make conversation or sing through the window. I'm often propositioned in the streets, public transportation and anywhere else I might go. For those who don't know, western women are not only seen as exotic, but easy. The worst is when I'm in a busy, crowded, market and men try to touch what they can by making it seem like an accident. Unfortunately, this works because as soon as you realize what happened the person has vanished.
These experiences are disrespectful and insulting and these days, both myself and my friend Kim tend to not go for long excursions unless we're together. Male gestures tend to be fewer when in bigger groups and its nice to have someone else there to contend with these things for emotional support, if you will. Its interesting, but most of the girls here that I consider friends have been in Yemen for a significant amount of time and have lived in other Middle Eastern countries, but the "western woman factor" as I'll call it, seems only now to really be getting to us, and all simultaneously despite the various durations of time we've spent abroad.
My friend Sam, who works in marketing here, gets the unique experience of having the male businessmen she contacts for her job call her personal phone at all hours of the night. On a less unique note, we've all gotten calls from wrong numbers by men who realized they called a foreign women and proceeded to call continuously thereafter.
Some people might tell me that if its such a big deal I should start wearing a nicab. To that I would respond that men can tell when a foreign woman wears a nicab. I myself can't figure it out completely, other than perhaps the subtle differences in body language, tread and posture between Yemeni and Western women aren't really all that subtle. Also, I am not Yemeni nor am I Muslim. I can respect the culture here by wearing conservative and loose clothing while not feeling forced to make a decision that isn't my own. In a way, I feel doing otherwise actually projects disrespect, although there are times (due to the safety factor) wear I will dress in this manner.
I've tried to understand the cultural mindset around this behavior, I've analyzed and sympathized, and now I just find myself fighting resentment and constant skepticism of the men here. I try to focus on the positive male relationships I've made and realize that this phenomenon only seems to happen in the streets, not in all settings, but some days, I think its just better to stay indoors.


Saturday, January 23, 2010

Sustainable Development in Yemen is Possible

Analysis of the Report:
Sustainable Development is Possible in Yemen

Yemen is country rich in beauty and culture, but one whose problems easily overwhelm its onlooker. The article, “Sustainable Development in Yemen is Possible,” written by Danya Greenfield and published January 14, 2010 by the Center for American Progress (a progressive DC based think tank), takes these surmounting issues and funnels them into perspective.

Greenfield assesses Yemen’s current situation in a brief and organized fashion that gets straight to the point and focuses on how the United States should interact with Yemen to ensure greater stability and progress. It is suggested that three sections be emphasized in terms of assistance and support, including local governance, anti-corruption efforts, and economic reform.

Media Women Forum (the nongovernmental organization I am working for) is commended by Greenfield as one organization that has taken initiative in the area of anti-corruption. If you would like to read the actual article for more details, please refer to the following link:

http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2010/01/sustainable_development_yemen.html

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Speaking in Code

From the beginning of my Middle East journey I have had to play to the audience I was entertaining, so to speak. A white lie here, a blatant lie there, using body language and voice (or lack there of) to convince someone of a certain belief, opinion, or attitude that I may or may not carry in the name of safety and exploration.
In Palestine, I spoke Arabic and had to put out a focused effort not to speak Hebrew. In Israel, I spoke Hebrew and had to put out a focused effort not to speak Arabic. When asked about my opinions towards my politics, it took imagination, creativity and restraint (in both Israel, Palestine and in any other Arab countries for that matter) to provide people with answers that closely resembled the one's I hold without straying too far from the ones I believed the person I was conversing with held. I clearly do not support the current occupation in Israel, but I have sensitivities for both the Israelis and the Palestinians and if I don't fully support one "side" then I am in danger of being seen as against it. At times I lied completely about what I was doing abroad.
In countries such as Syria and Yemen, when asked where I learned Arabic, I say Jordan or Egypt as I may be seen as a terrorist or simply be kicked out if I say Palestine. I have two passports, one that shows no sign of Israel/Palestine so I may enter countries such as these. In Syria, when talking about Israel to those I trusted, I referred to it as "Disneyland," I referred to the Syrian government as "the Company," and I referred to the Syrian president as "the CEO," all of which are common lingo for anyone talking about these subjects in Syria.
When I take a taxi or bus in the Middle East, I tell the drivers I have a boyfriend or I'm married (as they usually ask) and often pretend not to understand what it is they're asking or telling me thereafter. In airports or other security settings, I embody the role of the eager naive tourist which usually gets me to where I need to go. When it doesn't, I become assertive, persistent and sometimes aggressive which succeeds when the latter fails to.
Since the recent expansion of political unrest and US involvement in Yemen, I tell people I am from France. For the record, when someone asks you if you're from Russia in the Middle East, say no, as this is usually synonymous with "are you a prostitute?" When traveling through checkpoints, I wear a veil to give the illusion that I am Yemeni so as not to be stopped by security.
There are other such tactics I will leave out for the sake of space and keeping your attention, but its important to be smart when you're traveling, especially in this region and these mechanisms have helped me to do so. Simultaneously, they are draining me. I have been working and pushing myself to the edge ever since I arrived and for the first time since landing, I'm starting to feel it. In many ways, being here is like adopting another identity, one which I can never be comfortable with and one that takes a lot of exertion to uphold not only for my own safety and ease, but out of respect for the culture as well.
I only have a few more months here and I am trying my best to get the most out it and enjoy every experience as I am presented with opportunities to see this culture in ways that others will never be privy to. I only hope that I can keep going at the same speed until then.

Monday, January 4, 2010

Security Situation in Yemen

I've been getting a lot of messages from people back home in regards to the current security situation in Yemen and seeing as things are starting to escalate, I feel its time to address the issue.
Whereas a few weeks ago many people didn't have any idea of Yemen's existence, now suddenly the country is on everyone's radar. After the bombings by the Yemeni government with the support of the US (which supposedly killed 30 Al-Qaeda members, though it was actually four or five, the rest were civilians) and other occurrences within the last month, the foreign community has expressed fear of retaliation against the US and the foreign population here. The security situation is further complicated by the insurgency in the north and the secessionist movement rising in the south. Yesterday, both the American and British Embassies closed down and today, embassies from France and Japan followed and those of Spain and Germany have tightened their security.
First off, I'm fine and so is the rest of the foreign community here. Many people are getting worried, but the media hype and concerns expressed from family and friends back home is more of a contributor to the developing fear than an actual change in conditions here. That's how "terrorism" works. The threat has always been here. We all knew about the presence of Al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups long before coming to Yemen, but Sana'a has always felt very safe and the people in our town have always looked after us. Honestly, I'm more afraid of what the US will do and as a result, what they will incite, than I am about any terrorist group on their own.
As far as precautions go, we've been trying to be as smart as possible. We don't go out in big groups and have been staying in at night. We didn't even go out for New Years to avoid unwanted attention and avoid hot spots for foreigners. We've been careful about telling people where we live and what we're doing here. The female students have even been wearing the nicab (black robe providing full coverage from head to toe) to conceal the foreign look. As far as I'm concerned, I'll be moving out of the YCMES college in the next week and a half to an apartment in Old Sana'a with some friends of mine. That will decrease the threat slightly and if things do escalate quickly, I know a few Yemeni families I can stay with.
For the time being, I'm fine and will hold out as long as I can. To read some current news on the situation, refer to the sites below:

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2010/01/2010149572402958.html

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2009/12/2009122935812371810.html

Media Women's Forum (MWF)

Recently I was offered an opportunity to work with a non governmental organization in Sana'a that focuses on enhancing women's rights and freedoms through the use of the media. The NGO, Media Women's Forum, is very well established and involved in the Yemeni community. Human rights is my area of interest and due to the hands on nature of the position and the passion of the woman who runs the organization (Rahma Al-Hugeira), I decided to take advantage of the opportunity.
This has been my first week here and I'm excited to get new projects moving. The majority of the employees at MWF are women which makes for a relaxing atmosphere. I look like an alien to people here and men tend to stare for periods of time that make me less than comfortable. In addition, all the women have been so welcoming, going out of their way to get to know me, referring to me as their sister, etc.
Media Women's Forum, established in 2004, strives to professionally develop the media industry in Yemen so it can advocate human rights, democracy and development issues. Established by a group of professional female journalists and media activists, the main objective of the MWF is to develop the skills of women and men in the media by assisting students and civil rights activists to create public awareness on issues on human rights, gender empowerment, democratization, and good governance. To achieve this, MWF builds strong coalitions with active NGOs and media groups. More information can be found on their website at:
http://www.mwfye.org
Don't forget to click on the English version in the upper left hand corner - this version I'm currently helping reconstruct as it needs some serious tinkering.
My role at MWF as Public Relations and Programs Officer is triple fold. First and foremost, I have access to a list of donors, interested parties, current projects, and projects that need developing. My primary job will be creating proposals for new project ideas, refining old ones and making connections with local and international NGOs and organizations in order to gain support and mutual cooperation to get current ideas off the ground and add new elements to old ones.
Second, I'll be going through all the brochures, handouts and web information that is available in English and reconstructing them to be more grammatically correct, visually pleasing, informative and clear. Lastly, any projects, proposals or papers previously put together I will need to review and fine tune for both content and structure.
This NGO appears to be a strong force in the community so I'm happy to be part of an organization that is successful in inspiring change, especially for women, an area of human rights that has grabbed my attention more than others while living and working in Yemen.

Sunday, January 3, 2010

Night Noises at Deir Mar Musa

As I mentioned in my previous post, I was able to produce some fluid writing while at Mar Musa. I don't really share my poetry with people, but this was created while I was in process of getting back on track. Its not quite poetry, but something in between that related to my perception of the place, so I thought I'd post it.

"I grace the edge of the monastery, breaching the boundary between sky and earth, illuminated by moon and starts, grounded by shadows of sand and stone. I am captivated by this place.
Suddenly the solitude is shared, accompanied by foreign whispers in the dark, distinguishable only by the familiar rhythm and occasional note that jarred my recognition of the long ago Italian that once danced at my dinner table. Utterances that seemed as near and as isolated as those that currently wielded the attention of my senses. I am captivated by this place.
By its feel, its smell, its colors, its voice. By the simplicity that attracts the complex. It speaks to me of a time that once was, in it's history and in mine. A time perceived one way, but lived another and of a present that seeks to find common ground while conserving the breath of the being. I am alive here, and I am captivated."

Deir Mar Musa

Syria is full of fascinating sites and Palmyra was one place that left a special mark on my radar. However, Deir Mar Musa is worth an entire entry if not more. Deir Mar Musa is an old monastery in the mountains of Syria and requires climbing over 1,000 stairs to get there, but the visit is worth the hike.
Paulo, a priest from Rome, has been overseeing Deir Mar Musa since 1982 with the intent to revitalize the monastery way of life and teach about a monastic lifestyle. He and a few others who share his vision strive to synthesize Islam and Christianity, but most who go there are neither Muslim, Christian or religious in general. There is no preaching here, just people gathering from all over the world, from various stages and walks of life, discussing their experiences (spiritual or not) and gathering around the possibility of something greater than themselves, whatever it may be. Paulo and the others here recognize that people are searching for something and rather than pay attention to the details of one religion or another, Paulo emphases that, "god is not with you or with me, God is with us."
When staying at the old monastery (the main one I stayed in which has been in use from the 1600s and two other buildings constructed more recently to support the growing number of people who come here during certain seasons), you are provided with a communal bedroom, as well as clean sheets, blankets and towels. Meals are served three times daily, tea is available at any time, showers, bathrooms and a library are also provided, there is plenty of mountain for hiking and there's an old church (my favorite part of the experience) near the entryway. Meditation as well as prayer services are held in the morning and at night, though no one is required to attend anything and everyone helps do what they can (cook, clean, etc.). If you want to leave a donation at the end of your stay you're more than welcome to, though it is not required, otherwise you pay nothing. People here stay for days, months, and even years as they take in what the place has to offer.
I've said it before and I'll say it again, I'm not religious. However, I attended the prayer and meditation services and found them to be nothing short of beautiful. The bibles on the shelves of the church were in Arabic, German, French and a variety of other languages. Almost everyone attended the services and there was something so powerful about the diversity of age, language and spiritual beliefs in the room all coming together regardless of the differences.
There is a serenity to the desert that is unique from other venues in the natural world; it emanates a spirituality of a different taste. Despite the compliment of the desert mountains and plains, there is a power to this place that is indescribable and originates not from its surroundings, but from within. I simply felt alive here. It was as if all the experiences, thoughts, emotions and unknowns from the last year and beyond were able to break free from the confines of my subconscious and face me head on. I could see here and amongst all of those thoughts I'd been putting off for later came giant strides of clarity.
I write poetry. For the last year and a half or so I've had an incomprehensible writer's block, but for the first time in a long time I could write like I use to. I was only able to spend a day and a night here and it pained me to leave, but I am determined to return and stay for at least a week, if not longer. Check out the pictures to get a better feel for the place (soon to come I promise) or as I highly recommend, go there yourself.

Saturday, January 2, 2010

Hammam Ammounah

I've been to the hammams in Yemen and while they are an interesting cultural experience, the hammams here are not the same as the traditional Middle Eastern hamman. In Yemen, you enter an old bath house that descends under the ground with a towel or drape wrapped around you and proceed into a stone room with fountains spouting both cold and hot water. Usually you go with other women and you wash and scrub each other in that setting. Nudity is not tolerated so you have to try to wash yourself while revealing as little as possible.
The hammam in Syria (Hammam Ammounah) more accurately resembled what I'd heard a traditional hammam should be. When I entered, there was a beautiful sitting area with a fountain and tall elaborately decorated ceilings. The first stage was entering a steam room with a towel wrapped around me for five to ten minutes. Then, I was given time to rinse off and scrub down on the stone floor next to a small fountain which provided me with water, after which a very large Syrian woman proceeded to scrub down every inch of my body. I had no idea I was so dirty. She literally was scraping off skin, but if felt amazing, not painful at all. Afterwards, another large Syrian woman massaged my entire body with oil, and I do mean pretty much everything. This was followed by an intense foot scrub after which I went back to the wash area to soap down and wash my hair.
The experience ended with a cup of tea in the sitting room while drying off. The whole time the Syrian women working there were singing amongst each other while scrubbing me down. I've never felt so clean and relaxed; such a unique experience I wish I could relive on a frequent basis. Perhaps a future business endeavor in the US? 

The Islamic Hammam

A bit of information on the Islamic Hammam (or bath house) for those are interested since they are such a prevalent part of the Middle Eastern Society. Compliments of Wikipedia. I'll talk about my own experiences with the hammam following this post:
The Turkish bath has played an important role in Middle Eastern society, acting as a place of social gathering, ritual cleansing, and architectural beauty. The Islamic hammam is akin to the saunas and sweat rooms of the West. Inspired by Greek-Roman baths that Arabs encountered during their conquests of Alexandria (642 AD), the Turkish bath has an improved style and functionality.
It wasn’t until the Prophet Mohammed himself recommended sweat baths as a way to enhance fertility and thereby multiply the followers of Islam did the hammam gain in popularity and spread throughout the Arab world (600AD). Prior to this, Arabs washed predominately in cold water and never bathed in tubs, which was seen as bathing in one’s own filth. Following the conquests of Syria and Alexandria, holy men discovered the pleasure of hot air bathing, and emphasized the religious significance to their followers. Hammams were built as annexes to mosques, tied to Islamic laws of hygiene and purification. Physical and intellectual development within the hammam, with the exception of the massage, was de-emphasized.
The hammam became a quiet retreat, an environment of half-light, quiescence, and seclusion. The vaulted ceilings of old shrank as buildings became smaller and more modest, and rather than building expansive central baths like the Romans, Arabs built several small baths throughout their cities. In Roman and Turkish baths, a typical hammam consisted of three interconnected rooms, the hot room, which had niches with fountains in the corners for soaking up steam and receiving scrub massages, the warm room, for washing up with soap and water, and cool room, for relaxing, dressing, or having a refreshing drink.
Under the Arabs, the hammam further transformed, as the warm intermediate room became a passageway leading from the dressing room to the hot room, and the relaxing room became a small steam room adjoining the hot room. While the Roman bather might have finished the hammam experience with a stay in the library or study, the hammam bather ends where he or she started, in a rest hall where servants brought drinks and cooled him or her with fans.
Hammams are heated by hypocaust (heating from below) heating systems, and in some regions hammams may use the heat from hot springs to warm the hammam. The oldest hammams were those of the semi-bedouin Camayyad caliphs. These hammams were built outside cities, in the desert wilderness, the oldest of which is named Kusair Aman and is found near the Dead Sea. The hammam then spread to most places touched by Islam, including Iran, Asia Minor, across North Africa, and even in Moorish Spain and near the northern Danube River. Conquered temples, churches, and baths were often converted into hammams.
The hammam served as the social centers of the Ottoman Empire, built in almost every Ottoman city, integrated in daily life, and filled on every occasion with traditional entertainment and ceremonies, such as before weddings, high-holidays, births, beauty trips, etc. Baths were one of the few places in Islamic civilization open to everyone from early morning until late at night. Hammams would sometimes feature a barber who, in addition to shaving, cutting hair, letting blood, and massaging bodies, would also scrub the soles of bathers’ feet to remove calluses from which bad vapors and undesirables would flow down and out of the body. Hammams were also places of religious cleansing, and travelers, ex-prisoners, and people recovering from troubles or disease would come to clean and convene with Allah.
When Mohammed first advocated the use of the hammam for religious and recreational reasons, women were forbidden. But after the hygienic benefits were realized, his words were reinterpreted and women were permitted to bathe after an illness or giving birth. Eventually, Arab men reluctantly allowed women full use of the hammam, one of the first opportunities they received to socialize with anyone outside the home. The hammam became such an important part of women’s lives, that the denial by the husband of his wife’s right to visit the hammam was considered grounds for divorce.

Aaland, Mikkel, The Islamic Hammam is Born, 1997 http://www.cyberbohemia.com/Pages/Islahammam.htm
Wikipedia, The Turkish Bath http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hammam

Friday, January 1, 2010

Dori and Fawzi

If you've been following the blog religiously (and that's all of you, right?) then you've heard those two names before. Dori and Fawzi hosted me during my stay in Jordan. While I was only with them for a week, this was one of those rare instances where two people (or in this case three) instantly connected. It was as if we'd known each other for years and since I left Jordan three months ago, I still find myself genuinely missing them.
When they heard I was coming to Syria they agreed to meet me despite Fawzi's distaste for the area, and the Middle East in general, come to think of it. They joined me on Christmas and we spent the day exploring the Old City, eating, drinking and laughing at each other. The highlight was the big band Christmas concert we attended that night in the Old City after getting a beer or two, the first I'd had in months since alcohol is scarce and expensive in Yemen.
The two of them said they'd try their best to visit me in Yemen before I head home for the US in March so I'll be keeping my fingers crossed!