Fight Over Dowry In Bangladesh

For my last blog post, I decided to skim the posts about Bangladesh on the website Global Voices.  I came across on from last November, which described the story of a woman who had recently gotten married.  Farzana Yasmin, the bride, and Shawkat Ali Khan Hiron, the groom, were married on November 11, 2011, a day many people around the world chose to tie the knot on.  She works for an insurance company, and he is the head master at a government elementary school.  However, luck or good fortune was in store for the new couple.  

Shawkat's parents stated that they wanted several items from Farzana's family as a dowry, including a TV and a refrigerator.  This occurred during the reception after the wedding.  To the surprise of Farzana, Shawkat supported his parents demands.  After only being married for less than a day, the bride divorced her new husband, ignoring her in-laws pleas to try and work out the issue.  Shawkat had posted negative comments about his ex-wife on Facebook and denied asking for a dowry from Farzana's parents, but he was forced to remove the posts after protests.

Before I comment on this story, I should explain what has caused so much anger in the country and over the Internet.  A dowry, according to merriam-webster.com, is "the money, goods, or estate that a woman brings to her husband in marriage."  A bride's parents was forced to provide a dowry to the husband's family.  This occurred in various regions throughout the world.  However, this could be a problem for poor families who did not have the money or resources to provide one.  The song "Matchmaker" in the film Fiddler On the Roof has the three oldest daughters singing about getting married.  The oldest one, Tzeitel, tells Chava that "With no dowry, no money, no family background, be glad you got a man!"  A woman would be able to marry a man with wealth, or one that at least be able to easily provide for her, if she had a large enough dowry.  

As mentioned in the post, over the last hundred years, many countries in South Asia have banned the requirement of a dowry for marriage, but the practice still occurs.  Women every year are abused and/or killed by their husbands over a dowry.  This is why Farzana's story has created such a firestorm in the country.  She was strong enough to stand up for herself, and numerous people in Bangladesh have commented on her courageous decision.  Farzana has received a lot of support from people in the news and over social media.

When I first read this story, I did not realize what was so significant about it.  Here in the United States and other developed nations, a woman can easily receive a divorce from her husband.  She has rights and can charge him with a crime if she is abused or threaten with her life.  However, this is not necessarily the case in other countries around the world, like in Bangladesh.

I, like many in the nation, am proud of Farzana for standing her ground and doing what was best for her.  Some of the comments in the blog post state that Farzana is an inspiration for other women who face pressure to provide a dowry and abuse.  I hope that other women are able to follow her example and that women can gain more rights in Bangladesh.

Jenny

Blog Entry - 
Rezwan. (2011, November 15). Bangladesh: A bold protest against dowry. In Global Voices. Retrieved April 17, 2012, from http://globalvoicesonline.org/2011/11/15/bangladesh-a-bold-protest-against-dowry/
Map - http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/asia/bd.htm 

The Falkland Islands: Great Britain vs. Argentina

I was searching the website Global Voices for an interesting blog post when I came upon a couple related to the conflict between Great Britain and Argentina over the Falkland Islands.  The Falkland Islands are located east of Argentina in the South Atlantic Ocean.  They are claimed by both Great Britain and Argentina.  The post explained that in 1982, an unofficial war broke out between the two nations when Argentina invaded the islands and occupied them.  This caused the British to send troops, and after a couple months, the British were able to retain the islands.  Argentina has asked Great Britain to discuss with them the sovereignty of the Falklands, hoping to settle the dispute.  However, the British have refused, stating that the citizens of the island have made it clear that they would like to remain under the jurisdiction of Great Britain.  Numerous exchanges have occurred between the governments of the two nations in the past year, and countless others have provided their opinions on the subject.

I was surprised to learn about this conflict, since I was previously unaware of it.  We have discussed in class the topics of colonialism and imperialism, but I did not realize that the sovereignty of a territory was still under dispute between Great Britain and another nation.  When I was reading the blog posts on this issue, I found it interesting they rarely discussed the views expressed by the residents of the Falkland Islands.  The posts commented on the positions taken by Great Britain and Argentina, official statements made by leaders of both nations, and the opinions of reporters and journalists.  However, it never really examined the opinions of the people living on the Falkland Islands.  The British Prime Minister, David Cameron, did state that the residents want to be British, and that they will remain British until they decide otherwise.  Nothing else was stated beyond that comment.  It would seem reasonable for anyone reporting on the topic to investigate and determine what these people have said they want.

I found an article that had interviewed a couple residents of the Falkland Islands.  They related stories of the war from thirty years ago, explaining how they resisted the Argentinians when they invaded.  While only a couple of the residents were interviewed for the article, it highlighted a point-of-view not readily mentioned.  I believe that if the people living on the Falkland Islands overwhelmingly decide that they want to remain tied to Great Britain, then their opinion should be respected.  If they want to become part of Argentina, I believe it is their decision to make.  While this issue may not seem important when compared to other crises in the world, any problem relating to the self-determination of a group of people needs to be addressed.

Jenny

Blog Entry -  

Calzolari, N. (2012, January 26). Argentina: Diplomatic conflict with United Kingdom over Falklands. In Global Voices. Retrieved April 17, 2012, from http://globalvoicesonline.org/2012/01/26/argentina-diplomatic-conflict-with-the-united-kingdom-over-the-falklands/

Map - http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/samerica/fk.htm

Other Related Articles - 

•  Calzolari, N. (2012, February 17). Argentina: Government accepts UN mediation in Falklands conflict. In Global Voices. Retrieved April 17, 2012, from http://globalvoicesonline.org/2012/02/17/argentina-government-accepts-un-mediation-in-falklands-conflict/
• de Araujo, R. (2012, February 29). Brazil: Dispute over the Falklands opens debate on economic perspectives. In Global Voices. Retrieved April 17, 2012, from http://globalvoicesonline.org/2012/02/29/brazil-falklands-argentina-uk-economic-mercosur/
• Sherwell, P. (2012, April 1). Falkland Islands 30 years on: 'I naively thought the Argentine problem was sorted that day, but now they are causing all sorts of trouble again.' The Telegraph. Retrieved April 17, 2012, from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/southamerica/falklandislands/9177897/Falklands-Islands-30-years-on-I-naively-thought-the-Argentine-problem-was-sorted-that-day-but-now-they-are-causing-all-sorts-of-trouble-again..html